Basketball icon wins award

Tuesday, May 19, 1998

Basketball icon wins award

AWARD: UCLA Center on Aging honors

former coach Wooden

By Emmanuelle Ejercito

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

If his trophy case wasn’t already full, it is now.

Sunday night, legendary basketball coach John Wooden received
the UCLA Center on Aging’s Second Annual ICON Award. The award was
presented during a black-tie gala held at the Regent Beverly
Wilshire.

The Center on Aging determines the recipients of its ICON award
based on outstanding contributions to society throughout their
lives. And the "Wizard of Westwood," as Wooden is also known, has
contributed much, especially to the UCLA community.

Wooden, 87, could be considered the founding father of the UCLA
men’s basketball program. Wooden guided the Bruins to 10 NCAA
titles in 12 years. During his 27-year tenure at UCLA, Wooden’s
teams compiled extraordinary winning streaks. The Bruins won
28-straight tournament games as they captured seven consecutive
national titles. In regular-season play, UCLA put together an
88-game winning streak.

UCLA Chancellor Emeritus Charles Young praised Wooden and read a
laudatory letter from President Bill Clinton before presenting the
award to the coach.

The double National Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (as both a
player and a coach) was also honored by his 11 great-grandchildren
who went up on stage to salute him.

Art Linkletter, the master of ceremonies and former host of the
television’s "Kid’s Say the Darndest Things," asked the Wooden
progeny to say one word to describe him. Among the adjectives used
were "loving," "generous" and "honest."

There was also a special performance by John and Donald Mills of
Wooden’s favorite musical group the Mills Brothers.

"It’s only one syllable, but used with great sincerity, it’s
better than any collection of words – thanks," Wooden said as he
accepted his award.

Among those in attendance were some of the top names in sports
like his former players Bill Walton, Willie Naulls and Dave Meyers.
And Rafer Johnson, the 1960 gold medalist in the decathlon, served
as honorary co-chair with Walton.

Women’s basketball great and former Bruin Anne Meyers Drysdale
and NBC commentator Dick Enberg were also present.

The event was not only a tribute to Wooden, but also helped
raise funds for the Center on Aging.

"In the year 2025, one in five Americans will be over the age of
65. Soon the whole place will look like Florida," joked
Linkletter.

With the trend toward the "graying" of America, the Center of
Aging has aims to bring together foremost specialists in the field
of aging for interdisciplinary research and education efforts,
expand research initiatives, develop a degree-granting program and
postdoctoral research training, and promote community education and
life-long learning.

Photos by AARON TOUT/Daily Bruin

John Wooden received the second-annual UCLA Center on Aging ICON
award Sunday night. The honor is given to people who have made
outstanding contributions to society.

Art Linkletter asks Lacey, Cori, Ashlyn (in stroller), Eric,
Kyle, John, Carlen, Cole, Tyler and Cameron to describe their
grandfather.