After college, Valentine was selected by the
Denver Nuggets with the 51st pick of the
1980 NBA draft. He played 24 games for the Nuggets during the
1980–81 NBA season, scoring 84 points. Valentine later played in the
Continental Basketball Association, the
United States Basketball League, and in Italy. In 1982, he earned the CBA's MVP Award after averaging 32 points per game for the
Montana Golden Nuggets. He also led the West team with 25 points in the 1982 CBA All-Star Game. He won
CBA championships with the
Tampa Bay / Rapid City Thrillers in 1985 and 1987. After his playing career ended, Valentine lived homeless on the streets of Miami for 27 years. ==Career statistics==