Posted on 06/04/2010 10:18:12 PM PDT by ICAB9USA
With all due respect to Bob Knight, Mike Krzyzewski and even Bear Bryant and Vince Lombardi, John Wooden was in a class by himself.
Wooden will go down as the most accomplished coach anywhere. Ever.
The Wizard of Westwood won 10 national titles in a 12-year span, including a remarkable seven consecutive from 1967 through ’73.
Wooden’s success is almost unfathomable.
Wooden passed away on Friday night at the UCLA Medical Center, just months prior to his 100th birthday on Oct. 14.
Wooden was still mentally sharp in his 90s and was spotted at UCLA games and other events.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...
On my next flight, a connection overseas so a long flight, I read the book. It was pretty neat seeing in print a bunch of stuff he told me hours earlier.
Sorry, did not realize I double posted that. I mixed up two threads. Someone said there are 30 of them on FR now.
yep!! great quote from JW but the best ‘ever’?....no. go look up the man who’s ability was so far above the then norms, who the rule makers/owners were so scared shitless that he would so make a mockery of the game...that they had to change the NBA’s court!!!! that never happened with/by/for Jordan!!! yeah, it was about 50 years ago, but some of us remember. has the MLB diamond ever been so RADICALLY, (forget the ‘69 mound dump....that was not due to one pitcher from the dominate ‘68 season), changed to negate the effect of ONE player? nope. jordan great? yes!!! but one other better.
I know the answer. It is Wilt Chamberlin.
darn right!!!! case closed as Archie Bunker used to say!!!
Well, I might as well correct my misspelling of his name if the teacher is not going to catch my spelling error: Wilt Chamberlain
yitbos, bbm, UCLA '69, yes four years with Big Lew and many, many other NCAA championships
They changed the rule so that he couldn’t dunk free throws by taking a run outside the arc. He needed to dunk...he was always terrible at the foul line.
remember when the frosh BB squad beat the varsity soon after Lew arrived at UCLA? that had to mess up the heads of the BMOC guys at that time!! A FROSH!!!! oh my!
“yitbos, bbm, UCLA ‘69, yes four years with Big Lew and many, many other NCAA championships”
I saw Lew Alcindor play on the freshman UCLA team 65/66, and he seemed lazy.
He wasn’t really lazy, but I had never seen a man over 7 ft. 2 in. tall, playing basketball.
And then UCLA won the NCAA during his sophmore, junior and senior years.
I saw him play prior to the rule change...never saw him take a ‘run’ at the hoop to dunk free throws, ever, college ball or pros on a foul shot attempt. the ‘key’ was changed to the ‘lane’ do to his complete dominance inside. his foul line work was terrible as you say ....beyond terrible!
I must say, this has been a much more enjoyable conversation than the ones on the pit bull threads.
I remember crossing the quad when the PA system announced campus wide that Big Lew Alcindor had accepted a scholarship. His frosh year was the first season of the newly completed Pauley Pavilion. Most will tell you that is the reason he came to UCLA.
I say it was Wooden.
yitbos
A 7 footer can get down the court fast in a few slow strides. And a sky hook looks pretty slow, too.
They banned the dunk because of him, correct. So, in warm ups he would drop the ball into the basket from the top of the backboard.
yitbos
My freshman year at UCLA was Wooden’s last year. The Cal/UCLA game was my husband and my first date.
So many memories. My children were raised on UCLA basketball and there is a Wooden signed UCLA banner hanging on our bedroom wall.
I told my husband tonight that I was sad and will really miss seeing him sitting across from our seats, but I am happy that we were part of his experience. And happy he is now reunited with Nell.
Lew Alcindor's UCLA varsity FT record is 439FT of 699FTA = 63%
In the pros, Jabbar shot FT at about 56%. Better than Wilt or Shaq.
yitbos
He was an influence to me just winning so much. He was obviously very strict but lenient enough that the players loved him. He lived a full life and America can be proud of that kind of leader. RIP Coach Wooden.
My first wife used to date Bill Walton. They were both from Chula Vista. I met her when I got out of the army in '71 and got her out of that relationship quick.
yitbos
I wonder what he may have been doing in Pittsburgh. Was it a flight layover or maybe something having to do with Pitt basketball. After all, Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon have California/UCLA backgrounds.
Howland was hired at Pitt in 1999 and has been coaching UCLA since 2003.
Howland is a very nice and intelligent man too.
I wonder what he may have been doing in Pittsburgh. Was it a flight layover or maybe something having to do with Pitt basketball. After all, Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon have California/UCLA backgrounds.
Howland was hired at Pitt in 1999 and has been coaching UCLA since 2003.
Howland is a very nice and intelligent man too.
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