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.
Biography information from
Wikiquote·
Portrait adapted from
Wikimedia Commons, Congressman Brad Sherman's office (Public domain / CC0)
So often we fail to acknowledge what we have because we’re so concerned about what we want.
Some people today may think these are naive or kind of corny. But think a moment about what they mean and who you become if you abide by them. That isn’t naive. You don’t become corny.
"If any one premise typifies my teams in all the years I've coached, it is this concept. Often as a player, I'd tell myself, "I may play someone better than I am, but I'll never run against one who is going to be in better condition" And I never played against a man in my life I felt was in better shape, and Lambert often cited me as an example of top conditioning."
