Q&A: Wooden offers insight on sports today

When John Wooden was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom
earlier this summer, he told the person delivering the news by
phone that he would not be able to make it ““ in his old
age, he no longer travels through airports. After a private flight
was arranged, he made the trip to Washington, but by his own
admission, getting around is harder than it used to be. His mind is
still sharp, though. He has keen insight regarding the latest
developments in the world of basketball. He reads constantly and
writes poetry. And his memory for detail adds color to any story he
tells or situation he describes. Here are a few excerpts from an
interview with Wooden. Ңbull;Ӣbull;Ӣbull; Daily Bruin:
Kobe Bryant, one of basketball’s biggest stars, is charged
with sexual assault. How bad is it for basketball when things like
this happen? John Wooden: It’s bad for everyone involved
in the situation. I know Kobe. I’m surprised from what I knew
of him. It’s bad for athletics as a whole when any athlete
gets in trouble with the law. And with any athlete, it’s
going to be publicized tremendously. Anyone in the public eye has a
responsibility to conduct themselves in such a way that they
wouldn’t be involved in situations like this.

DB: Was Bill Walton a better player than he is an
announcer? JW: He’s a better player. He’s pretty
good though as an announcer. It’s amazing how he’s
overcome that speech impediment he had in school. He worked very
hard. He took speech therapy classes, and he studied
sportscasters’ tapes. His mother always said, they taught him
to speak, but they never told him how to stop.

DB: You once made Bill Walton cut his hair (when Walton
played at UCLA). How did he react? JW: He said I didn’t
have the right to tell him how to wear his hair or beard. I told
him, “No, Bill, I don’t have the right, but I do have
the right to decide who’s going to play, and we’ll miss
you.” But that’s alright ““ never get upset at a
player if he tests you. Expect it. Deal with it. Be consistent in
your dealings whether it’s a superstar like Walton or
somebody else. And that doesn’t mean treat everyone the same
because everyone is different. Try to give everyone the treatment
they deserve.

DB: Do you fill out NCAA tournament brackets every
year? JW: I never gamble, but I do fill out a bracket every
year. I fill one out all the way, and one round by round. Usually
I’m pretty good in the first round. I had Kansas winning last
year, not Syracuse. But I did have them making it to the Final
Four.

DB: The national media makes a big deal out of the
comparisons to you that every UCLA coach endures. Are these
fair? JW: They’re not fair at all because things have
changed so much. I learned from my dad that you never compare. You
always get into a pickle when you start comparing because you
always compare with someone who you think has more. My philosophy
was to never try to be better than someone else. Learn from others,
and try to be the best you can be. The score was the by-product of
that preparation.

DB: What do you think Ben Howland’s biggest challenge
will be next season? JW: His biggest challenge will be getting
the players there to accept a different type of discipline to what
they are accustomed, but I think he’ll be fine. They have
talent. It was too bad losing a couple players ““ Patterson
and Cummings until the end of the quarter. But I still think
there’s quality material there. His style of play will no
doubt be a change.

DB: As someone who prides himself on being a teacher, does
it bother you that UCLA players have had so much trouble
academically recently? JW: Yes it does. And I don’t like
it. I don’t expect 100 percent graduation, but I think to
some degree we’re turning into the athlete-student rather
than the student-athlete. As a coach, you have to work on that and
concentrate on it.

DB: Not only was Lew Alcindor (also known as Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar) one of the best NBA players of all time, but he was
also one of the most intelligent. Why do you think he hasn’t
gotten the opportunity to be a head coach? JW: He didn’t
have the best rapport with the media when he was playing, and I
think that’s what has hurt him the most. No question in my
mind, he’d make a good coach. He’s very bright. He
knows the game. He’s a tremendous draw. I’d like to see
him get a chance.

Interview conducted by Jeff Eisenberg, Bruin Sports Senior
Staff, and Kelly Rayburn, Bruin Senior Staff.