Before my time. Very nostalgic. What a legendary time in college sports, Olympics, professional ... sports in general. Wooden left quite the legacy.
I attended Wooden’s basketball camp in the early ‘70s at Cal Lutheran College (where we shared the dining hall with the Dallas Cowboys, who were at training camp) and then at Pepperdine. Coach emphasized the fundamentals, which he drilled in us all week. Current and former Bruin players helped us out as well. Amazing experience. I highly recommend his books.
Born: October 14, 1910
Died: June 4, 2010 (age 99)
A good long run. RIP
Marking.
After a made basket, Wooden employed a devastating 2-2-1 full-court zone press. The last player, the “safety”, was first All-American Keith Erickson and later Lew Alcindor. Opponents were unprepared for it, got flustered, and after five minutes the score would be 18-2 and the game was over.
When I take some time to watch a basketball game these days I like to see these men or women.
Practical modern basketball
Book by John Wooden
Practical Modern Basketball, by legendary coach John Wooden, is a classic instructional book first published in 1966 that details his philosophy and strategies for the game, covering fundamentals, team play, and personal development through basketball. It’s known for its timeless advice, emphasizing hard work, balance, and the “be quick but don’t hurry” approach, making it relevant for players and coaches decades after its release.
I often annoy folks with Wooden’s famous warning: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
I had the unique privilege of meeting him at my place of work a total of 3 times. First two times were casual 3-5 minute conversations.
The last time, we conversed for about 1.5 hours. We talked about basketball. I freely gave him my opinions( I am not a good basketball player but was a fan of UCLA), and he thoughtfully answered each one with his own. He told me about some things that happened in the basketball world to him, and it was quite obvious that he was intelligent,very kind, had amazing, yes, amazing integrity, a mentor who cared that people achieved their best, great coach who jealously guarded his players so that they could do their best, compassionate and caring. The most impressive person I have ever met given his incredible success, fame, reputation and his humble teaching and caring manner. Especially to me( a “nobody” in the athletic world).
It was obvious why his teams kicked everyone’s arse.Compared to todays sloppy, ego-emoting, sensation seeking, mistake prone clowns playing the game...if he was still around his opponents would lose 100-55 or so.
“Wizard of Westwood”