- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJohn Robert Wooden
- Nicknames
- The Wizard of Westwood
- The Indiana Rubber Man
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- John Wooden is an American basketball player and head coach at the University of California, Los Angeles. Nicknamed the 'Wizard of Westwood', he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period as head coach at UCLA, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than four in a row in Division 1 college men's or women's basketball. Within this period, his teams won an NCAA men's basketball record 88 consecutive games. Wooden won the prestigious Henry Iba Award as national coach of the year a record seven times and won the AP award five times. He also won a Helms national championship (which was decided by a poll) at Purdue as a player 1931-1932.
As a 5'10" guard, John Wooden was the first player to be named basketball All-American three times, and the 1932 Purdue team on which he played as a senior was retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA Tournament national. Wooden was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1960) and as a coach (1973), the first person ever enshrined in both categories.
One of the most revered coaches in the history of sports, Wooden was beloved by his former players, among them Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton. Wooden was renowned for his short, simple inspirational messages to his players, including his 'Pyramid of Success'. These often were directed at how to be a success in life as well as in basketball. Wooden's 29-year coaching career and overwhelmingly positive critical acclaim have created a legacy of great interest in not only sports, but in business, personal success, and organizational leadership as well.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tango Papa
- SpouseNellie Charlotte Riley(August 8, 1932 - March 21, 1985) (her death, 2 children)
- Enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961 (as a player) and 1973 (as a coach). He was the first multiple inductee in the Hall.
- He enjoyed an All-State career at Martinsville High School.
- Wooden was a three-time Helms Athletic Foundation All-America and named College Player of the Year in 1932.
- Guard for Purdue University in Indiana (1928-1932).
- All-Big Ten and All-Midwestern (1930-1932).
- The thing I may be ashamed of more than anything else is having talked to opposing players. Not calling them names, but saying something like 'Keep your hands off him' or 'Don't be a butcher.'
- Goodness gracious sakes alive!
- [In 1995 on this three main ideals]: One was to get his players in the best possible condition. Another was quickness. I wanted my centers to be quicker than my opposing center, the forwards quicker than their forwards, and so on. The third was teamwork. You better play together as a team or you sit. People ask me if I'd permit fancy things like dunks. Well, if they dunk, it was with no fancy flair. No behind-the-back dribbles or passes unless necessary. If it was for show, you were on the bench.
- [on Bill Walton's hair]: Bill, that's not short enough. We're sure going to miss you on this team. Get on out of here.
- [on Sam Gilbert in 1989]: I warned them, but I couldn't pick their friends. I honestly felt Sam meant well.
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