Definitely one of the best to ever walk the earth, God bless this man.
Thoughts and prayers are to John Wooden and his family. He's one of the best humans to ever grace foot on this earth.
Get well Coach Wooden.
Definitely one of the best to ever walk the earth, God bless this man.
I think you could make a tangential connection between John Wooden and the Spurs because I think there's a Wooden-esque element to the way that Gregg Popovich approaches his job.
Obviously, even with Pop's successes, he doesn't hold a candle to Wooden in terms of winning in dominating style. But reminiscent of Coach Wooden, while he wins and seems to regard winning to be an important thing, Pop seems willing to acknowledge the relative importance of basketball in life. I think both coaches would maintain that if you're going to play the game, you should do what you can to win. But like Coach Wooden, Pop appears to believe that you win the right way and that the "right way" encompasses healthy doses of perspective, selflessness, respect, and accountability.
With all of Coach Wooden's maxims, few are specific to basketball and most are applicable to things that are far more societally significant than a game. We don't have the Quotable Pop from his generation-long stay in San Antonio, but the philosophical principles that seem to guide Pop's work with the Spurs, I think there's a connection with the broader perspective that Coach Wooden has embraced.
Certainly, that willingness to see basketball as something other than the most important thing in life has brought some criticism from Spurs fans who seem to wish that Pop would move away from that sort of aloofness about the importance of a game or a season.
Please don't misunderstand me: I'm not at all trying to compare the men as basketball coaches. But as men who coach basketball, I think they're closely-related.
old John Wooden Rule: No long hair, no facial hair.
One day, All-America center Bill Walton showed up with a full beard. "It's my right," he insisted. Wooden asked if he believed that strongly. Walton said he did. "That's good, Bill," Coach said. "I admire people who have strong beliefs and stick by them, I really do. We're going to miss you." Walton shaved it right then and there. Now Walton calls once a week to tell Coach he loves him.
http://www.inspire21.com/stories/spo...oachjohnwooden
Our thoughts and prayers for him, his family and close friends.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...n_N.htm?csp=34
Looks like its dehydration. Says he is resting comfortable and no other info is given on his condition officially. All the reports about him being in grave condition have been anonymous sources.
Hope he's doing well. But let's not exaggerate how good he was. UCLA was a filthy program that bought all its players in an age before the college ranks ran that stuff out. Calipari had nothing on Wooden. Nothing.
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Um, graduation rate?
Um, number of NCAA championships? (10-0)
???????? Earth to Mr. Body . . .![]()
Looks like my friend was wrong. Thankfully.
Damn it. Confirmed... Thoughts and prayers with his family.
Wooden's gone at 99. Full story from the LA Times here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,4909616.story
RIP
The man lived a very long, very useful life.
RIP Coach...the world of basketball owes you a lot.
We never look forward to hearing this type of news for those we love & admire.
Rip John Wooden-You are the best
Just sad, sad news.
All the best to his family and I hope Coach Wooden's found himself back in the arms of his Nell.
Congratulations on a life well lived. RIP.
Hey, Wooden's athletes got cars bought for them. They got money under the table. His programs were filthy. This is on record. Everyone choses to look the other way, like you, because they think he's a hero. Great coach, sure, but let's not pretend they weren't buying all the talent. He'd be run out of the NCAA on a rail nowadays, like Kelvin Sampson, who did less.
People forget he won a national championship as a player at Purdue. Hard to believe he started his playing career there in 1928.
Russ, and others: learn about a man named Sam Gilbert, Wooden's money man. He was to Wooden what World-Wide Wes is to John Calipari.
"But facts are facts. And the fact is, Wooden was at UCLA for 15 years, from 1948-63, without winning an NCAA championship. And then from 1964-76 he won 10 les in 12 years. What changed? Sam Gilbert's involvement changed. "
From here.
Dude, STFU. Kori said no trolling this thread. There is NO need to on his legacy when he's only just died. Man, you're one ed up miserable mother er.
This is the problem with Americans nowadays. They want their plum fairy-tale fantasies. I already told you, the guy was well-respected and I wish him peace. But for God's sake, let's not say he's the greatest or anything. CAN'T WE FOR ONCE RESPECT THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T CHEAT???
There are people who die every day and toil in semi-obscurity who DO NOT CHEAT. Let's leave our true condolences to those honorable souls.
RIP Wooden. But let's be honest with ourselves. Or are we so blinkered we want our stupid porcelain fantasies?
See, that one line just undid your obviously fake earlier sentiments. We get it. You don't respect the man or his legacy. Now GTFO.
Can you put that aside for now? I mean, is this necassary right now? A man has died. How bout some respect..................................some people
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