Jim Valvano

Jim Valvano (1946–1993) was an American college basketball coach and sports broadcaster. He is best known for leading North Carolina State University to the 1983 NCAA men’s basketball championship, an upset victory that became one of the tournament’s defining moments. Valvano coached at several programs, including Iona, NC State, and Seton Hall, and later worked as a television analyst. In 1993, while battling cancer, he delivered an emotional speech at the inaugural ESPY Awards that urged audiences to “never give up,” cementing his legacy beyond the court. He died later that year at age 47.