John Wooden, where do I start?
I’ve looked online all day for inspiration and maybe a little fact or quote that nobody has found that could give me a unique perspective on him, and I have yet to find one.
But that’s the real beauty about his genius. It was the mere simplicity that he took life and basketball.
One of my favorite stories of the great John Wooden is when highly touted Bill Walton came to UCLA. Walton was a prized high school talent and UCLA had already won 3 consecutive National Titles. The first day of practice and all the freshman were wide eyed in Polly Pavilion. Coach Wooden brought all the freshman in the locker room. He told them to take of their shoes and socks. He then proceeded to show the soon to be All-American Walton how to put on his socks the right way.
Wooden teaching Lew Alcinder.
He wasn’t just the best coach ever; he was the best teacher ever. And he took pride in that. Wooden constantly said that was extremely grateful for the game of basketball to allow him to teach and his messages to be spread. But you can’t tell me that without the game of basketball he wouldn’t have been as influential on everyone.
His ‘Pyramid of Success’ hangs on my wall to this day and his philosophies reverberate in my head on a daily basis. My favorite being, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail”, but there are numerous I could have chosen from. I urge all of you to read his books, listen to his philosophies and attempt to be as great of a man as he was.
RIP John Wooden
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