25 Jimmy V Quotes to Inspire You to Never Give Up

Jim Valvano, lovingly nicknamed Jimmy V, was a basketball player and coach who was an inspiration to more than just his team.

We hope these Jimmy V quotes will inspire you to never give up on your dreams.

As a child, Jim Valvano had a dream of playing basketball.

In college, he was a point guard at Rutgers University and helped lead the team to victory at the 1967 National Invitation Tournament.

That year, Valvano was named Senior Athlete of the Year.

After graduation, Valvano immediately began his professional career, coaching for his alma mater at the ripe young age of 21.

Valvano led a successful 19-year career as head coach.

He bounced around between several universities but is most well-known for coaching the NC State University team from 1980-1990.

Valvano led his team to win the 1983 NCAA Championship game, a victory that would become one of the greatest Cinderella stories in college basketball.

Jimmy V was an inspiration to generations of basketball players, and we hope these Jimmy V quotes inspire you, too.

Don’t forget to also check out these Phil Jackson quotes to set you up for success.

If you enjoy this article, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily motivation. 

If you want more motivational quotes, check out our motivational quotes category page.

Jimmy V quotes about never giving up on your dreams

1. “If you have someone with a dream, if you have a motivated person with a goal and a vision, if you have someone that never gives up, who has great hope, anything can happen.” — Jimmy V

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2. “Nothing can happen if it’s not first a dream.” — Jimmy V

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3. “Be a dreamer. If you don’t know how to dream, you’re dead.” — Jimmy V

4. “I’m going to fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year!” — Jimmy V

5. “Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first steps to succeeding.” — Jimmy V

6. “Keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have.” — Jimmy V

7. “The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.” — Jimmy V

8. You need to have a dream, a goal, and you must be willing to work hard.” — Jimmy V

9. “Other people go to the office. I get to coach. I know I’ve been blessed.” — Jimmy V

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10. “You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.” — Jimmy V

Jimmy V quotes about finding success

11. “Know where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be.” — Jimmy V

12. “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” — Jimmy V

13. “A person really doesn’t become whole, until he becomes a part of something that’s bigger than himself.” — Jimmy V

14. “No matter what business you’re in, you can’t run in place or someone will pass you by. It doesn’t matter how many games you’ve won.” — Jimmy V

15. “Conceive the inconceivable – then accomplish it.” — Jimmy V

16. “It’s so important to know where you are.” — Jimmy V

17. “All really successful coaches have a system.” — Jimmy V

Jimmy V quotes about finding happiness

18. “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.” — Jimmy V

19. “How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life.” — Jimmy V

20. “Now I’m fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how’s your day, and nothing is changed for me.” — Jimmy V

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21. “And if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. That’s important to me too.” — Jimmy V

22. “I will thank God for the day and the moment I have.” — Jimmy V

23. “I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have.” — Jimmy V

24. “Spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you’re emotions going.” — Jimmy V

Inspirational Jimmy V quotes

25. “We should do three things every day of our life. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought. And, number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears.” — Jimmy V

Did these Jimmy V quotes inspire you?

Jim Valvano lived his life with love, hope, and persistence.

He was an inspiration to his team, his family, his friends, and the people who watched his broadcasts on ESPN.

Valvano was diagnosed with cancer in 1992.

In March of 1993, nine weeks before his death, Valvano spoke at the ESPY Awards and delivered an inspirational speech that would become legendary.

Though his life ended early, he made a major impact on the world.

A few weeks before his death, Valvano partnered with ESPN to open the V Foundation to fund cutting-edge research on cancer and cancer treatments.

The foundation has now funded millions of dollars in research.

Did you enjoy these Jimmy V quotes and sayings?

Which quote was your favorite?

Let us know in the comments below.