Legendary players remember selfless teacher, mentor
By Will Weiss
June 6, 2010 6:38 p.m.
In the 27 seasons he spent at UCLA, no two players meant more to John Wooden on or off the court than Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton.
Arguably the most famous and talented players in Wooden’s career, the two were also among the legendary coach’s most challenging pupils, but their lasting friendship with and appreciation for Wooden as a man and coach are perhaps equally unrivaled.
The two players are among the greatest to ever play college basketball, collectively contributing to five of Wooden’s 10 NCAA championships.
Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was one of the most dominant centers in the history of college ball. Between 1967 and 1969, he led UCLA to three consecutive NCAA titles with an overall record of 88-2 in that span. He was named Player of the Year in each of those three seasons and holds numerous UCLA records including career scoring average (26.4), points per season (870) and points in a game (61).
A few years later, Walton, also a center, helped UCLA to two more titles and a record of 86-4 from ’72 to ’73. Also a three-time Player of the Year, Walton holds UCLA records in career rebounding and has been immortalized for his performance in the 1973 NCAA title game, in which he made 21 of 22 shots for a total of 44 points, leading UCLA to an 87-66 victory over Memphis State.
Both Abdul-Jabbar and Walton were selected No. 1 in the 1969 and 1974 NBA drafts, respectively.
During their years at UCLA, the two players in many ways were the manifestation of the changing times on Wooden’s teams.
Alcindor was recruited to UCLA by Jackie Robinson and Dr. Ralph Bunche, squarely in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, and was active and outspoken on issues of race and equal rights.
Walton was notoriously rebellious, clashing first with Wooden over things like haircuts, and later over his protest of the Vietnam War. Wooden was a conservative and cautioned his players against the consequences of rebellious behavior. Still, the coach was ultimately respectful of, if not sympathetic, to the opinions his players held and the pursuit of justice that motivated them.
Since leaving UCLA, both Abdul-Jabbar and Walton remained close with Wooden, through their prominent NBA careers and beyond. They both credit a great deal of their success and discipline to the legendary coach and have spoken of their tremendous admiration many times.
“It’s kind of hard to talk about Coach Wooden because he was a very complex man,” Abdul-Jabbar said in a statement. “But he taught in a very simple way. He used sports to teach us how to apply ourselves to any situation. He set quite an example. He was more of a parent than a coach. He was a very selfless and giving individual, but he was a disciplinarian. We learned all about those aspects of life most kids want to skip over. He wouldn’t let us do that.”
Walton especially has recognized Wooden as his most cherished mentor, saying that his own family’s home is “a shrine to John Wooden.”
“Coach Wooden never talked about winning and losing, but rather about the effort to win. He rarely talked about basketball, but generally about life. He never talked about strategy, statistics or plays, but rather about people and character. Coach Wooden never tired of telling us that once you become a good person, then you have a chance of becoming a good basketball player,” Walton said in a statement following Wooden’s passing.
“I thank John Wooden every day for all his selfless gifts, his lessons, his time, his vision and especially his faith and patience,” Walton said. “This is why our eternal love for him will never fade away. This is why we call him “˜Coach.'”
