Fourteen years ago, the great Hall-of-Fame basketball coach John Wooden passed away at the age of ninety-nine. As you can see from the photo above, I had the privilege of attending one of his basketball camps during the Summer of 1974–fifty years ago.
It was a John Wooden and Bill Sharman (coaches of UCLA and the LA Lakers, respectively) camp in Honolulu. We lived and breathed basketball 24/7 during that week. We drilled during the day, sat in classes, and scrimmaged in the afternoons and evenings. It was heaven for an aspiring athlete. (That week was notable for the rest of the world because President Nixon resigned that Thursday, August 8, 1974.)
During one drill, Coach Wooden pointed at me and said, “Come here, young man, and show me how you rebound the ball.” I sheepishly came out in front of the other players; and for a couple of minutes, Coach Wooden schooled me on how to box out. No matter what I did–spinning, pushing, hip-checking, and jumping–he always snagged the rebound. I couldn’t believe this gray-haired “old man,” who was at least five inches shorter than me, could do that. (Coach Wooden would have been 63 years old at the time.) It was only later that I discovered he was in the Hall of Fame–as a player (inducted in 1960). No wonder he taught this skinny kid a lesson! He was the first man to be inducted in the Hall-of-Fame as both a player and a coach.
When that exercise ended, he patted me on the back and said, “Good work, son.” He didn’t shame me; he didn’t show me up. He taught me and everyone else on the court the power of good footwork, dogged determination, and that you didn’t have to jump high to get every rebound. The memory of that is so strong that I can still feel his elbows, hips, and other bones grinding into my thighs and ribs as I tried to get around him.
Later that week, they had us practice free throws until we became sick of them. Little did I know that at one time in his playing days, Coach Wooden made 134 consecutive free throws in a 46-game period. And the other instructor, Bill Sharman, led the NBA in free-throw percentage seven times! (Bill Sharman also still holds the record for consecutive free throws in the NBA playoffs with 56.) Now that I look back, I’m amazed at the privilege I had to receive instruction from these great coaches.
But even more significant is the legacy of character and faith that Coach Wooden instilled in everyone. I’ve read his books and interviews and heard numerous comments about him from former players. A few quotes illustrate some of his wisdom. Asked in an interview about the secret to his long life, the then 97-year-old Wooden replied: “Not being afraid of death and having peace within yourself. All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.” Asked what he would like God to say when he arrived at the pearly gates, Wooden replied, “Well done.”
Other notable quotes:
- “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
- “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man given. Be grateful. Conceit is self given. Be careful.”
- “It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it.”
- “Happiness begins where selfishness ends.”
- “You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.”
Many of today’s leaders forget Coach Wooden, which is to their detriment. I recommend reading his 2005 book Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization.
(I ran a version of this post the day after Coach Wooden’s death in 2010. But since this is sort of the 50th anniversary of the year of that memorable basketball camp I thought I’d run it again.)
And what will the Lord say to me
when I walk through St. Pete’s gate?
Will He check His list to see
just why I am so late?
‘Well done’ is what I will not hear
(too many errors did I make),
unless, of course, He’s making clear
just how He wants His steak.
Will He check His length of beard
‘gainst mine (a holy macho test!)
and sigh, ‘It is as I have feared,
I’ve come off second-best.’
No, He’ll turn to Pete, ‘Hey, you!
why did you let this drongo through?’
What an inspiring post! Thank you, Mr. Laube, for sharing it. The quotes alone are priceless!
Blessings,
MaryAnn Diorio
This is very inspiring. I have a couple of his books and appreciate them so much. Thank you!
I remember The Coach well. Although I never played basketball (I’m only 5’6″), I remember how he coached and led his players to championships. Thanks for the insight regarding his faith. I never knew.
Anyone who knows you, Steve, will see the enormous influence Coach Wooden had on your life, and in 50 years time, some famous Christian writer who just now got her first contract with your help will write something very similar about you. These timeless threads of respect, learning and leadership are strengthened by the force of Christ’s presence in our lives. He was the first, and His disciples wrote and taught about Him. When we think of those who followed in their footsteps, from Augustine to CS Lewis, and to so many others we know today, we can only bow our heads and thank the Lord for His gifts.
This is special, Steve! Thank you for sharing these memories. I am a huge fan of high school basketball and still score all of our small high school’s home games.
John Wooden was amazing! I did a term paper on him for my “Theology of Coaching” class back in the 70s. Wish there were more people like him. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, Steve! This was a great article. What a tremendous week you had at basketball camp! This tribute touched my heart.
As soon as I saw the photo of you two, I thought, well there’s Steve as a youngin! Sure enough it was!
Thanks for a delightful start to a Monday morning.
I keep Coach Wooden’s “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” quote on my refrigerator.
How wonderful to have had such a good and Godly mentor, Steve!
What a beautiful tribute to past hero’s to look up …or down 🙂 …to as well as inspiration for those of us who are older to inspire those behind us. Thank you for sharing this again.
I read this to Ken in the camper this morning and almost couldn’t finish for tearing up. I somehow missed it the first time it ran. Really cool!
John R. Wooden is one of my heroes. I grew up in Central Indiana; my first job out of college was on John R. Wooden Drive. I’m a huge fan of all he wrote, and all of it is golden for life. How awesome that you had the opportunity to learn from him! Thanks for this inspiring post.
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story about an amazing man. Thank you, also, for the recommendation of his book. How blessed you are to have been able to meet him and practice with him.
How blessed you were to have been coached by such as man as John. I remember rooting for UCLA many years as he was a coach. I appreciated his common sense approach to life and his dedication to teaching his players not just about basketball. (I know this by what his former players spoke of him about).
Thanks for sharing your story and reminding us of what he gave to humanity.
Very cool, Steve. I attended his basketball camp here in LA, and have an autographed Pyramid of Success on my wall.
His stress on the fundamentals is a lesson for writers, especially those who say, “There are no rules.” You have to know what works over time before you improvise. That’s why his teams were so successful. They played fundamental basketball better than any team in the country.
Very inspired post, Steve! Thank you for your own vision and for the gracious way you have coached so many of us writers. Your Wooden story helps us understand your own dedication.
I was especially moved today by one of the Wooden quotes in your list (“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”) because yesterday’s Gospel reading at Mass was Luke 10:25-37, the Good Samaritan parable. Perhaps now we know the secret: The Samaritan had been mentored by Coach Gooden!
Have a blessed day.
What a lovely tribute. Sports wisdom applies to so many aspects of life.
Steve, thanks for sharing this today. The Holy Spirit Wisdom others pour into our lives is a blessing to be remembered and gifted to others as often as possible.
Wow. Just what I needed today. Thank you.