Tags
Basketball, Bruins, John Wooden, Joy, Love, March Madness, Peace, Sports, UCLA
Anyone who knows Coach Wooden’s philosophy knows the answer to the question the title of this article poses…
Yes. Of course. Wooden wins in any age or era because success is still a peace of mind resulting from knowing you did the best you could to be the best person you were capable of becoming.
Best person, on and off the court. Win all day long. Win every day, like Lou Holtz!
***
So why don’t any of today’s NCAA men’s basketball coaches copy John Wooden, run a 2-2-1 fullcourt press all game-long as his UCLA Bruins did to the tune of ten national championships? Why not plagiarize, if there’s no rules against that and the system still works?
It could work, if a coach was as humble and spiritual as John Wooden. Such a coach could instill that humility and spirituality in his or her players, emphasize the name on the front of the jersey over that on the back, and decide that college student athletes aged eighteen to twenty-three are going to run every moment they’re on the court.
They would be the best conditioned team in the land, as Wooden’s Bruins were. They would start out with some fair players over-achieving, then the best high school players would come. Winners attract. Never mind recruiting, they’ll come to play for the best conditioned, most over-achieving, hardest working team in the NCAA because that’s where the trophies are. Where the lessons thrive.
Where real men and women who can contribute something great to this world are born.
Bill Watkins, Traveling Poet 
John Wooden’s teams were like an Opera, except when they were a ballet. Every player knew his place and where to be. They all knew their abilities and how they contributed to the success of UCLA Basketball. Large Egos were shown the door. There were no behind-the-back passes, or long lobs, just fundamental basketball. I was privileged to see Jabbar and Walton–two of the greatest college basketball players, and their play was like that of a traffic cop directing traffic. There will never be another John Wooden.
Thank you. I don’t think a clone will arrive, but Wooden’s principles are there for anyone to adopt. Someone with his humility, spirituality and ability could arise someday, I think.
Thank you for the reply. I was in the stands for Kareem’s first game against the varsity, where he and his teammates–Lucious Allen, Lynn Shackelford, Kenny Heitz–systematically routed them. The greatest freshman class of all time.
Amazing! I played volleyball on that floor in the ’90’s — that’s the best I can do:)