John Calipari to present Jim Valvano into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Next month the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will induct 12 new members into the illustrious club. Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari will take the podium to introduce the late, great Jim Valvano.

Before each new inductee accepts their spot into the Hall of Fame, a current member serves as a presenter to invite them into the club. John Calipari, a member of the class of 2015, will have the honor of inviting in his old friend, Jimmy V. Calipari will also join Jim Calhoun to present David Hixon, a two-time D-III National Champion.

Jim Valvano is best known for his iconic celebration following the improbable upset of Houston’s Phi Slamma Jamma in the 1983 NCAA Tournament Championship Game. In addition to the Wolf Pack’s incredible ’83 run to a title, in ten years at NC State he won a pair of ACC Tournament and Regular Season Titles. He also served as the school’s athletic director for three years.

Prior to his decade at NC State, Jimmy V was an assistant at UConn and Rutgers. He also was the head coach at Johns Hopkins, Bucknell and Iona. Once his coaching career ended in 1990, he entered the broadcast booth for ESPN as one of the four-letter network’s most colorful commentators.

Jim Valvano is entering the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a “Contributor.” The Hall defines a contributor as, “A person is eligible for Enshrinement as a contributor at any time for significant contributions to the game of basketball. What constitutes a ‘significant contribution’ shall be determined by the BHOF, its Election Process Committee, and the Contributor Direct-Elect Committee.” Jimmy V earned his spot in the Hall of Fame for his success as a coach and his posthumous contributions to cancer research.

The news broke on the same day as the ESPY Awards, where 30 years ago Jim Valvano announced the creation of the V Foundation. Since his famous speech the V Foundation, in partnership with ESPN, has awarded over $310 million in cancer research grants nationwide. To join the fight for victory over cancer, donate to the V Foundation today.