March 29th, 2007
John Wooden
I am getting carried with this basketball thing. I have done post on Chris Lowery, John Thompson III, young black coaches that have made their mark. Now, I am posting about an old white former coach, John Wooden.In most of my blogs I try to illustrate black success. I have found, true greatness knows no color. And believe me Coach Wooden is great!
Check out this quote from Coach. “reputation is what others perceive you as being, and their opinion may be right or wrong, character, however is what you really are, and nobody truly knows that but you. But you are what matters most.”
!0 National titles in 12 years, 7 in a row, 88 game winning streak, 620 wins 147 losses in 26 years. Coached Jamal Wilkes, Sidney Wicks, Walt Hazzard, Marques Johnson, Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor, along with many other great players. I think there was another win streak of 72 games. Unreal!
HBO is doing a show on the UCLA basketball dynasty. It spends a lot od time speaking to the genius of Coach Wooden. The players, now mature men and successful off the court spoke of their coach with love, respect and admiration. I was compelled when several player spoke of waiting for their first UCLA practice. These 17 and 18 years olds were nervous. The legend of a coach open every year by teaching these great players, how to put on there socks and tie their shoes. That was their first drill. No datail too small.
As a sales leader, I knew the details of what it took to make it. I am learning as a recruiter. Business people, are there details you are missing?
http://members.tripod.com/ucla_hoops/Bruin%20History.htm#Coaching
