by Seth Davis
brushes with death and
center jump elimination and
childhood and youth of
children and family life and
civil engineering interest of
coaches at Dayton High, Kentucky
coaches at Indiana State Teachers College (ISTC)
coaches at South Bend Central High School
coaches’ conventions and
coaching clinics and
coaching course by, at ISTC
coaching offers to
coaching offer to, from Purdue
coaching style of
coaching style of, and drills and practices
coaching style of, and index cards
coaching style of, and Psychology Today article
coaching style of, at ISTC
coaching style of, at South Bend
coaching style of, at UCLA
coaching style of, vs. Cunningham
coaching style of, vs. Farmer
coaching style of, vs. Newell
college playing career accolades and
conditioning and, as athlete
conditioning and, as coach
consistency of
courts Nell
death of
death of father and
death of Nell and
death of sister and
decides not to play for money, post-college
demonstrations by
discipline and strictness of
dispute with Seibert and UCLA 1970 team and
dribbling skills of
dunk and
education of
end-of-game strategy
English teaching by
fan mail and
fast break and
favorite books of
favorite historical figures of
final interview with, in 2009
final public appearances of
finances of
finances of, and Depression bank failure
finances of, and house lost after WW II
finances of, and lecture circuit
finances of, and retirement
finances of, and UCLA salary
financial hardships of, as college athlete
first NCAA tournament of, in 1950
first NCAA tournament victory of, in 1962
football coaching by
four seasons of life of
friendships and
gambling probe and
Game of the Century and
game ritual of
Gilbert and
golf hobby of
Harlem Rens and
Harrick and
Hazzard as player and
Hazzard as UCLA coach and
HBO documentary on
health and exercise of
health problems of
health problems of, and auto accident
health problems of, and broken collarbone
health problems of, and bypass surgery
health problems of, and college injuries
health problems of, and heart attack
health problems of, and ruptured disc
high school track team and
honors, and Artesian championship of 1927
honors, and Basketball Hall of Fame
honors, and Big Ten academic achievement medal
honors, and “father of the year” award
honors, and Indiana Basketabll Hall of Fame induction
honors, and Morgan County Fall Foliage Festival of 1969
honors, and Sporting News top coach list
honors, and Sportsman of the Year Award
influence of Curtis on
influence of father on
influence of Lambert on
influence of Warriner on
interviews with, 2003–9
jobs of, as editor
jobs of, at Purdue
jobs of, in college
jobs of, in high school
Knight rivalry vs.
Lacey dispute and
Lakers offer job to
Los Angeles high school play-offs and
Los Angeles Sports Arena and
love and balance and
marriage and relationship with Nell
masters thesis of, on center jump rule
McCracken’s NCAA championship of 1943 and
media and criticisms of
Morgan as UCLA athletic director and
motivational talent of
moves to South Bend
moves to UCLA and adapts to California
NAIB tournaments and black players and
Naulls and
NCAA and
NCAA investigation and
NCAA rules and
NCAA titles and
NCAA title streak ends
NCAA tournaments and
Nell at games and
Newell rivalry vs.
nickname “India Rubberman” and
nickname “Pert” and
Norman and
old age of
Olympics and
other sports played by
PCC and
personality of
personality of, and humor
personality of, and press
personality of, and relationship with players
personality of, and shyness
personality of, and temperament
personality of, as anachronism in 1960s
Phelps on
players’ diet and
players’ dress and neatness and
players’ exams on road trips and
players’ feet and
players’ parents and
players’ pranks and
players ranking themselves and
playing speed and skills of, in high school
plays basketball as youth
plays college basketball at Purdue
plays high school basketball, with Martinsville Artesians
plays on Big Ten All Star team of 1930
plays on high school all-state team of 1927
plays on semiprofessional South Bend team
plays pro basketball
poetry and
political views of
pool skills of
popularity of, after NCAA championship
post-game routines of
pre-game regimen for players and
pro baseball contract offer and
profanity disliked by
public image of
public speaking and storytelling by
Pyramid of Success and
quits playing basketball
rebounding and
recruiting and
relationship with former players
relationship with mother
relationship with players
relationship with son Jim
retirement announced by
retirement decision of
retirement of, and party at UCLA
returns to Martinsville High, in 1989
returns to South Bend Central High, after WW II
returns to UCLA after 1973–74 season
scouting opponents and
selective amnesia of, about losses
sharp memory of
shooting skills of
shot clock and
smoking and
social life of
stalling and
success and
superstitions and rituals of
technical fouls and
time-outs avoided by
TV commentary and speaking
TV specials on
UCLA and NCAA tournament of 1952
UCLA budget and
UCLA cocktail parties and public speaking
UCLA forums and
UCLA gym problems and
UCLA job sought by
UCLA memorial for
UCLA new arena and
UCLA recreation center and
UCLA season of 1948–49, first as
coach
UCLA season of 1950–51
UCLA season of 1951–52
UCLA season of 1952–53
UCLA season of 1953–54
UCLA season of 1954–55
UCLA season of 1955–56
UCLA season of 1956–57
UCLA season of 1957–58
UCLA season of 1958–59
UCLA season of 1959–60
UCLA season of 1960–61
UCLA season of 1961–62
UCLA season of 1962–63
UCLA season of 1963–64
UCLA season of 1964–65
UCLA season of 1965–66
UCLA season of 1966–67
UCLA season of 1967–68
UCLA season of 1968–69
UCLA season of 1969–70
UCLA season of 1970–71
UCLA season of 1971–72
UCLA season of 1972–73
UCLA season of 1973–74
UCLA season of 1974–75, final as coach
UCLA Southern Division championship and
UCLA support for, in old age
Walton and
West Point offer
Wooden Award and
World Series of 2002 first pitch by
World War II naval service of
World War II Navy career and
youth basketball league and
zone press and
Wooden, Joshua Hugh “Hugh” (father)
death of
influence of
racial attitudes and
“Seven-Point Creed” of
“Two Sets of Threes” and
Wooden’s basketball playing and
Wooden, Maurice “Cat” (brother)
Wooden, Nancy Anne “Nan” (daughter)
Wooden, Nell Riley (wife)
alcohol disliked by
basketball and
birth of children and
blacks and
charm bracelet of
critics of Wooden and
dating by
early married life and
game ritual and
hairpin ritual and
illness and death of
Indiana State Teachers College and
Lakers offer and
loyalty of
marries Wooden
miscarriage of
move to Encino and
move to UCLA and
NCAA title of 1964 and
NCAA title of 1970 and
Norman and
personality of
relationship with Wooden
religion and
smoking and
social life and
UCLA games and
West Point offer and
Wooden courts, in high school
Wooden’s college years and
Wooden’s health and
Wooden’s pro playing and
Wooden’s retirement and
World War II and
Wooden, Roxie Anna (mother)
death of
Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections (Wooden)
Wooden Award
Woods, Tiger
Woolpert, Phil
World Series (2002)
World War II
WOR radio
WTHI radio
Wulk, Ned
Wyatt Earp (TV show)
Wyoming, University of
Yeats, William Butler
“Yonder” (Nater)
Young, Charles
Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)
Zeta Beta Tau
Ziff, Sid
Zimmerman, Paul
zone defense
zone press
At Martinsville High School, John Wooden was known for two things: his basketball prowess and his affection for his sweetheart.
Wooden (front row, far left) was the star of the 1927 Indiana high school champs. But his missed free throw the following year cost Martinsville the title.
Wooden’s coach at Purdue, Piggy Lambert (standing), had an enormous influence on young Johnny (center), on and off the court.
Wooden was born too early to have a full-time playing career, but for several years he was one of the biggest draws in professional basketball.
Wooden (back row, second from right) with his first team at Dayton High School in northern Kentucky.
Clarence Walker, a reserve guard for Wooden’s 1946–47 and 1947–48 Indiana State teams, made history by becoming the first black man to compete at the NAIB tournament in Kansas City.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Having spent more than four years deeply embedded in the life of John Wooden, I have developed a profound appreciation for teamwork. So let me begin by acknowledging my most important teammate, Paul Golob, editor extraordinaire at Times Books. It is a part of the writer’s DNA to harbor a healthy suspicion (if not outright disdain) for that mercurial species known as “editor,” but Paul, who also edited my previous book, When March Went Mad, was once again an indispensable asset. His diligence, thoughtfulness, fairness, and impeccable judgment are reflected on every page. I thank him for his strong guidance, his gentle touch, and most of all, his enduring friendship.
The other member of my team’s inner circle is my literary agent, David Black. Once again, David went above and beyond the duties laid out in the agent’s handbook to serve as an invaluable reader and editor. David’s client list includes many authors who are far more talented and successful than I am, but I always know that David will take my call and have my back. Like Paul, he’s not just my teammate: he’s my very good friend, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The other critical voice in the editorial process belonged to Rob Fleder. Besides being one of the founding fathers of fantasy sports (how many of you are old enough to remember Rotisserie Baseball?), Rob is a gifted editor who provided some terrific notes that helped us pare down the first draft.
Managing the material for a research-intensive book like this can be tedious and cumbersome, so I took care to utilize (some might say “exploit”) the industriousness and enthusiasm proffered by my team of interns. These youngsters stand as a powerful counter against the suspicion that the future of journalism will be less substantive than its past. I heartily endorse them for any jobs they seek. They are: Matt Bloom, Steve Brauntuch, Paul “Bulldog” Brown, Elliot Cook, Ryan Eshoff, Ryan Feldman, Derek Johnson, Patricia Lee, Matt Norlander, Tessa Rabinowitz, Theo Rabinowitz, Steve Silver, and Kurt Wagner. Special thanks to Chris Taylor, director of Ball State University’s Sports Link program, for connecting me with Paul, Derek, and the rest of his fabulous students. Thanks also to my CBS colleague Wayne Fidelman for helping to compile the endnotes.
I benefited from the generosity of several sportswriting colleagues who provided recollections as well as transcripts and/or notes from their interactions with Wooden. The transcripts provided by Alan Karpick, John Akers, and ESPN’s Josh Krulewitz were very helpful, but I owe a special debt of gratitude to Joe Jares, formerly of Sports Illustrated. I could never have imagined when I walked into Joe’s Los Angeles home in the summer of 2010 that he would hand me a thick folder teeming with papers on Wooden that had been sitting in his file cabinet, just waiting for me to come and claim it. Many of those files included long quotes from key people in Wooden’s life who long ago passed away. Joe was also kind enough to provide me with copies of his handwritten notes from his own visits with Wooden.
As I went about my travels, I met with gracious hosts who showed me the sights and put me in touch with people I needed to see. That includes Jim Powers in South Bend and Joanne Stuttgen in Martinsville. Not only did Joanne share her wealth of knowledge about the history of Morgan County, she took me on a driving tour of Martinsville and then brought me to Centerton, where we paid our respects at the Wooden family cemetery. Seeing that headstone with the word “INFANT” engraved on it where Wooden’s sister was buried was my most moving experience while working on this project.
> John Kovach, who works at the St. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, did yeoman’s work assembling many years’ worth of newspaper clips on Wooden’s coaching days at South Bend. Without his thoroughness, I never would have discovered that Wooden had a losing season there, which had never been reported. Thanks as well to Charlotte Brown in the archives office at the Charles Young Research Library at UCLA.
Clarence Walker’s children, Kevin Walker and Adrienne Garrett, cooked me dinner in East Chicago, Indiana, and shared memories of their father. They also provided me with a copy of Clarence’s diary from his playing days at Indiana State.
As for the extended UCLA basketball family, I am of course grateful to all of the people I interviewed for this book. Their contributions are recognized in my endnotes, but I would like to give an extra thanks to Jerry Norman, who provided me with a list of contact information and sat with me as we watched old black-and-white films from Wooden’s early years, and Eddie Sheldrake, who invited me to several reunion lunches at his Polly’s Pies restaurant in Carson, California. (I loved those lunches even though Eddie always introduced me as “that goddamn liberal from New York.”) Lucius Allen, Keith Erickson, Gail Goodrich, and Andy Hill indulged me during multiple interviews so I could properly flesh out this story.
At UCLA, I am thankful for the help extended by athletic director Dan Guerrero, former basketball coach Ben Howland, and director of executive relations Marc Dellins. I also cannot say enough good things about Bill Bennett, the school’s former sports information director for men’s basketball. As I wrote in the text, Bill was UCLA’s steward for all things Wooden during the last decade of the coach’s life, and he continues to serve as keeper of the Wooden flame for the university. Bill and Coach shared a birthday, so it makes sense that they should possess the same gentle qualities. That is, if you believe in that sort of thing, which I suppose I do.
In the Wooden tradition, allow me to point a finger to acknowledge two critical assists. One came from Howard Deneroff, the executive producer for Westwood One radio and a longtime friend, who helped me score a key interview that had been eluding me for some time. The other assist came from Bill Boyd, who convinced his reluctant father, Bob, to meet with me.
I would be remiss if I did not call special attention to Ken Heitz, UCLA Class of ’69, who succumbed to cancer at the far-too-young age of sixty-five. The three-hour conversation I had with Ken in his law office was the most enjoyable, productive interview I conducted for this book. I had several subsequent conversations with Ken, and he stayed in constant touch through e-mail to help me chase down his fellow Bruins. Ken was also kind enough to invite me to his gorgeous house for a UCLA reunion. I miss him, but not nearly as much as his teammates do.
