Here's to You, Jimmy V

As I drive my little Corolla to the office every morning, my radio is always turned to Mike & Mike in the Morning. Each year for I don’t know how long, they take a day in July and have a sort of “Jimmy V Day”, and auction off cool items whose proceeds go to the V Foundation. One such prize (which ended up going for some 5- or 6-figure pricetag) was for Mike & Mike to be aired from someone’s house. Pretty cool if you ask me.

And just when I thought some rich guy would be hosting Mike & Mike from the third-floor balcony of his Florida mansion, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the winner of the auction was the head of Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas, right across the freeway from my office. Sometime in the fall, Mike & Mike in the Morning will be hosted from the children’s cancer hospital at Medical City. Which, of course, is appropriate, as the V Foundation is used to fund cancer research.

For those who don’t know, Jim Valvano was a legendary basketball coach primarily known for his tenure at NC State during the 80’s. The Wolfpack won the title in 1983, and Jimmy V was so ecstatic after the final buzzer sounded that he ran onto the court looking for somebody to hug. There really wasn’t anything not to like about him; sort of like how it’s hard not to like Mike Krzyzewski, coach of Duke basketball.

But at age 46, in June of 1992, he was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer. Several months later in February of ‘93, he received the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the first annual ESPY awards, where he gave probably one of the most poignant speeches in American history. In addition, he announced the start of the V Foundation, which has so far raised over $70 million for cancer research in only 15 years of existence.

He died only two months later.

I try to watch his ESPY speech every once in a while. It really puts things in perspective, and frankly is life-changing advice. So I’m posting it here...



Here’s to you Jimmy V.

(Image credit: ESPN)