John Wooden 1910-2010

[The Stig]

The greatest college basketball coach ever died today. There will never be another like him.

[HometownHoya]

RIP

[kchoya]

Jun 5, 2010 2:28:23 GMT -5 HometownHoya said:

RIP...glad to see he made it to 100

umm, he was 99.

[Coast2CoastHoya]

Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.
John Wooden

Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts.
John Wooden

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
John Wooden

If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
John Wooden

It isn't what you do, but how you do it.
John Wooden

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.
John Wooden

It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.
John Wooden

Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.
John Wooden

[CAHoya07]

One of my favorites: Be quick, but don't hurry.

An incredible man who should mean something to everyone who is a college basketball fan. And it's not just about the championships, it's about his teachings in basketball and in life and the way he produced leaders. Sad that he didn't make it to 100 - I believe UCLA was planning a big 100th birthday celebration, now it will likely be more of a memorial. Still, he lived a long and great life, and touched many people. May he rest in peace.

[Hilltopper]

John Wooden and John Thompson have had a huge impact on me as a both a coach, and more importantly, as a man.

My definition of success is peace of mind obtained by doing the best you can to be the best you are.- John Wooden

R.I.P. Coach.

[hoyarooter]

Needless to say, I support all of these sentiments. I grew up during the glory days of UCLA basketball, and that's a time that will never be repeated.

Coach Wooden's passing has been THE big story here in SoCal the last two days. He's received some truly lovely tributes. It's too bad he couldn't be alive to hear them, but I think he would have pooh-poohed them.

I learned tonight that his daily breakfast spot was in my neighborhood. If I had only known, I might have popped over there occasionally. Not surprisingly, he always had time for anyone who approached him.

RIP, Mr. Wooden. I hope you and your Nell have been reunited.

[hoyaalf]

Amazing man. He had his critics, but great ones always do. He was not beyond using sharp elbows in recruiting, but so what.

He is in danger of being turned into a man of white marble like R.E. Lee. However, his record was better than Lee's.

I like to remember him when he was furious on the sidelines.

I wonder what the facilities are like in Coach's Heaven?

[SFHoya99]

Jun 6, 2010 14:27:54 GMT -5 hoyaalf said:

I wonder what the facilities are like in Coach's Heaven?

Everyone knows that Heaven is (just) a Playground.

[hoyaalf]

And you can't skin your knee no matter what happens!! ;D ;D ;D

[hifigator]

I remember hearing some interviews with Wooden and some of his former players several years ago. One that jumped out at me was with Bill Walton. As someone who was a little too young to really understand the Vietnam controversy and the associated political and socio-economic battles of that generation, I can only go by what I hear and read. In spite of what were obviously drastically different perspectives on so many issues, it was quite clear from comments from both Walton and Wooden that there was a tremendous amount of respect for each other. More importantly, you could tell that it wasn't just respect for the other as a coach or as a player, but as a person. Given the drastically polarizing issues of the day, not to mention the obvious confrontations for which Walton and Wooden were famous for at times, there was an unusually high amount of respect for the people themselves, not just what they were famous for.