When I moved to California in 2003 and began working for the Antelope Valley Press, my first assignment was to cover a UCLA basketball game versus Michigan State. The game alone was exciting enough to think about. I had never been UCLA’s campus before and Tom Izzo’s Spartans were a few years removed from a national title.
But the greatest part about that assignment was meeting John Wooden, who died on Friday at the age of 99.
When I heard on the radio on Friday that Wooden was in the hospital in grave condition, I was sad at first as we all are when you get bad news about a person you love. I don’t know John Wooden as a friend or even as an acquaintence. I met him once, speaking with him during halftime along with a dozen or so other reporters in a cramped lockeroom at Pauley Pavilion.
Also in the lockeroom were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton, UCLA legends and two of the greatest basketball players of all time. But on that day, and I would venture to guess today as well, they were egoless, gracious students of Coach Wooden.
The Wizard of Westwood has a special place in the hearts of all basketball fans, I think, or would like to believe. He led the Bruins to 10 national titles in a 12 year span, which is crazy, and will never be approached. Ever. But everyone who knows anything about John Wooden knows that, to paraphrase Wooden, you shouldn’t mistake his activity for his accomplishment.
The beauty of Coach Wooden is easy to see, and it was on display that night in 2003 when UCLA was honoring him with a ceremony to name the court at Pauley Pavilion after him. Well, not exactly, because the court wasn’t named after John Wooden. He wouldn’t agree to that.
It was named after Nell and John Wooden, honoring his late wife in an act of simple, humble, humility. If any basketball personality ever earned the right to have the court named after them, it was John Wooden. He doesn’t need to share the spotlight with anyone. He chose to do so.
Farewell, Coach Wooden. We will miss you.
