Don’t Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up

I was 10 years old on April 3, 1983 spending an annual Easter vacation with my Mom, Dad, brothers & sisters in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The youngest son of a highly successful High School basketball coach, I sat with my family glued to the television set that day in our condominium that looked out over the Atlantic Ocean. In what seemed to be a world away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, The University of Houston Cougars led by Hakeem Olajuwon & Clyde Drexler represented “Goliath”, with their Phi Slamma Jamma, seemingly unstoppable squad. They took the floor against the “David” like N.C. State Wolfpack and their charismatic coach Jimmy Valvano. We, the Lawhead’s were a basketball family, who had just been getting over the taste of a tough regional tournament loss just weeks before to Akron St. Vincent St. Mary’s. Yes, the same school that produced “King James”. There was no Lebron deciding our fate, but we did fall victim to another Irish legend Jerome Lane on that faithful night in the Canton Fieldhouse. He almost single handily knocked us out of the Sweet 16 while ending another successful 22-3 season for my dad and Lorain Catholic. We had just played underdog and as with most underdog’s the favorite came out ahead. It’s very rare when they don’t. You just hear about the times when they don’t.

We were only a couple hundred miles from the N.C State campus and their ‘Cinderella” run to the title game had a buzz you could hear through the Carolina’s like a swarm of bee’s. But as most excepted, the slipper was to come off that night. I mean, Houston had Olajuwon & Drexler as well as a roster full of highlight making basketball players. They were Phi Slamma Jamma for pete’s sake. N.C. State was a nice story but nice story’s don’t always have a happy ending. Just getting there was an accomplishment in itself. There would be no shame for Wolfpack fans, their players and especially Valvano in hoisting a 2nd place trophy.

I’ll never forget pulling for the underdog, my dad even bought me a Wolfpack painter’s cap at one of the local beach stores in town to wear during the game. At 10, I was more educated about the game than most adults who followed it. So, although I was rooting for the local hero’s, I understood that seeing the impossible, probably would not happen. I was also fine with watching the exciting Cougars rout N.C State while witnessing a flurry of dunks and amazing athletic plays which had got them to the finals in the first place. As the game developed, Valvano appeared to be as vital of a player as the young men on the floor. You could feel his presence, his hold on the game was taking shape and Houston was in for more than a 40 minute fight. They were to be involved in a shining moment that would last in the hearts of many forever. It came to be that the underdog “David” did in fact beat “Goliath” on an improbable rebound basket by Lorenzo Charles, which he received in the air from a desperation heave out of the hands of Derrick Wittenberg. As the buzzer sounded N.C. State and Jim Valvano were National Champions of College Basketball. The Wolfpack fans were happy, college basketball fans were happy, Valvano and his players were happy and the Lawheads were happy. We had just witnessed one of the, if not THE greatest college basketball games in history. That game left an indelible memory etched in my head for the rest of my basketball playing life. That memory was to be enhanced further through the passing of time.

As years passed, I, as many went on living unaffected mostly by the trials and tribulations of our own lives. I, like just about anyone who doesn’t live under a rock, knew what cancer was. However I didn’t KNOW cancer, like some people had unfortunately knew all to well. Then on March 3, 1993, 9 years 11 months to the day after I watched Jimmy Valvano running wildly around a court, celebrating as if he was going to live forever, he stood at a microphone with barley weeks to live. As alive as he was in Albuquerque almost 10 years before, stricken by the cancer that would claim him, telling a world ‘DON’T GIVE UP, DON’T EVER GIVE UP” He was again an underdog, and this time he knew there would be no Lorenzo Charles there to save him at the buzzer but he was still winning, he was championing a victory for so many. He changed fighting cancer, he like that ’83 Wolfpack team he led, showed us how to stand up to “Goliath”.

In 2000, The “underdog coach” I love the most was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. I now KNEW cancer. It was detected early, beaten and that was yet another victory for my Dad and the Lawheads. Then in 2008 the opponent came for a rematch, it was stronger with a more aggressive game plan and attacked his liver. This would be a much tougher game for my father to go through. An extensive surgery paired with a brutal 4 quarters of Chemo Therapy and no guarantees of playing overtime. But with the help of great doctor’s and nurses, loved ones by his side and most of all a will to win, James William Lawhead was able to beat it again. Cancer Free and now an influential speaker to many either battling this disease or KNOWING it from a loved one battling it. My father continues to heed Jimmy V’s message, loving life and helping tell people his story at Relay for Life events and Cancer walks, etc.

As College Basketball begins it’s Coaches VS. Cancer awareness week, I reflect on my father and how grateful I am to still having him “NOT GIVING UP”. JIMMY V was not as lucky as JIMMY L but his words and message live forever. So anyone out there who is dealing with this dreaded disease or just meeting it for the first time, remember… DON’T GIVE UP, DON’T EVER GIVE UP!!!

Support the JIMMY V Foundation if you can and God Bless