Ray Romano will star and produce a new film about the extraordinary life of American basketball coach and broadcaster Jim Valvano. The script will be written by Jim Strouse, whose credits include Grace Is Gone and The Winning Season. Romano will produce with game1’s Basil Iwanyk, Greg Economou and Mark Ciardi (The Rookie). The Valvano family will provide key resources for the film, serving as executive producers.

Jimmy V’s life is the ultimate underdog story, peppered with courage and optimism when facing long odds. It starts with Valvano’s meteoric coaching ascent, including his astonishing run to the 1983 NCAA Championship with the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The team won a last-second victory over a heavily favored Houston Cougars team that had all time NBA greats Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler on its roster.