John Wooden Quotes

American basketball coach (1910–2010)

John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1961) and a coach (1973). He was the first person ever enshrined in both categories; only Lenny Wilkens and Bill Sharman have since been so honored. He was awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003. He led UCLA basketball program from 1948 until 1975. He was the coach for UCLA winning 10 championships in 12 years. He is also famous for his pyramid of success.

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Alternative Names: John Robert Wooden

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Talent will get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

"Be prepared and be honest." -John Wooden

The problem with new is you don't have time for the old ones.

It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.
-John wooden

It’s always about focusing not on the mistakes but on the lessons learned from them.

Sincerity may not help us make friends, but it will help us keep them.

Don’t mistake activity for achievement. To produce results, tasks must be well organized and properly executed; otherwise, it’s no different from children running around the playground — everybody is doing something, but nothing is being done; lots of activity, no achievement.

A coach’s primary function should be not to make better players, but to make better people.

Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort? That’s what matters. The rest of it just gets in the way.

Many building custodians across the country would tell you that UCLA left the shower and dressing room the cleanest of any team. We picked up all the tape, never there soap on the shower floor for someone to slip on, made sure all the showers were turned off and all towels were accounted for. The towels were always deposited in a receptacle, if there was one, or stacked nearly near the door. It seems to me that this is everyone's responsibility-not just the mangers's. Furthermore, I believe it is a form of discipline that should be a way of life, not to please some building custodian, but as an expression of courtesy and politeness that each of us owes to his follow-man. These little things establish a spirit of togetherness and consideration that help unite the team into a solid unit.

If I am through learning, I am through.

Talent is God-given. Be Humble. Fame is man-given. Be Grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be Careful.

It is important for us to see that our mentors are human and therefore fallible; it makes our own shortcomings more tenable.

When opportunity knocks, it’s too late to prepare.

When I was teaching basketball, I urged my players to try their hardest to improve on that very day, to make that practice a masterpiece.

Too often we get distracted by what is outside our control. You can’t do anything about yesterday. The door to the past has been shut and the key thrown away. You can do nothing about tomorrow. It is yet to come. However, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today. So make today a masterpiece. You have control over that.

This rule is even more important in life than basketball. You have to apply yourself each day to become a little better. By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period of time, you will become a lot better. Only then will you will be able to approach being the best you can be. It begins by trying to make each day count and knowing you can never make up for a lost day.