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One of the greatest figures in all of sports, John Wooden coached the UCLA basketball team to ten national championships in twelve years, including seven consecutive. One of the most remarkable things about this was that he did it with different players all but once. He never had one player more than three years. His motto of "Be quick but don't hurry," assured that his players were always alert, aware, under control, and ready to pounce on any opportunity. With his small teams, Wooden used quickness to overcome size disadvantages. His big teams simply overpowered, as when the "Walton Gang" won eighty-eight consecutive games. His teams also won a record thirty-eight consecutive tournament games. John Wooden believed that "Success is associated with effort of the will." Following his first championship Wooden penned the verse, "Remember this your lifetime through, tomorrow there will be more to do, and failure waits for all who stay with some success made yesterday, tomorrow you must try once more, and even harder than before." An All-American guard at Purdue, John Wooden is the only person who has been inducted into The Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. |
Oil on Canvas |
14" x 11" |
Galleries
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