Nearly 60 years ago, Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Valvano were players who wanted to outdo each other on the basketball court. Today, Coach K is doing everything in his power to defeat what took away Jimmy V too soon.
Of course, Valvano died of cancer in 1993, but it was the ESPYs held just weeks before his death from cancer that launched what became perhaps the world's most notable cancer research fund. This was his speech at the award ceremony.
That speech took place more than 31 years ago, and now the longtime Duke University head coach is on the board of the V Foundation.
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Mike Krzyzewski hosted an event for the Jimmy V Foundation in his hometown of Chicago last month. (Jimmy V Foundation)
“Jimmy and I, obviously, were competitors when he played at Rutgers and I played at West Point. … We both came to North Carolina together. We We weren't close friends, we were competitors. Once he retired from coaching and entered the coaching world, we became good friends on the air, and when he was diagnosed with cancer, we became friends. became brothers,'' Krzyzewski said in a recent interview with FOX News Digital.
“He had a great vision to try to beat cancer, because cancer was an incurable disease. So 31 years later, I'm still part of the V team. The V Foundation has raised more than $350 million. That turned into billions of dollars in research funding. That's magic.”
Last month, Krzyzewski hosted a Jimmy V event in his hometown of Chicago that raised more than $2 million, a full-circle moment for the 77-year-old. It was also made even more poignant by the loss of Coach K's mother and brother to cancer.
North Carolina State University coach Jim Valvano celebrates at center with his fist raised after his team beat Houston to win the NCAA men's college basketball tournament on April 4, 1983 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (AP photo)
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“This is something we have to build on. It was a magical two days. Good food, good wine and the atmosphere of everyone there, a really positive attitude that really heightened them. Everyone was really happy to be a part of this opportunity,''' Krzyzewski said.
Jimmy V's legendary “Never Give Up, Never Give Up” is as powerful now as it was when he first said those words, with a flashing light that tells you there's about a minute left before he speaks on stage Ignoring the button. .
But the disease still exists, and despite investing millions of dollars, Coach K owes it to his old friend to do all he can to finally eradicate cancer. Masu.
Mike Krzyzewski (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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“What continues to be my passion is that cancer still exists and affects over 2 million people in this country in some way. We have found a cure. We're winning, we're winning, but we're just not winning it all yet. It's working,” Coach K said.
“When something goes well in a game, you just keep playing that way.”
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