Dick Enberg Remembers John Wooden
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden died Friday night at the age of 99. Wooden won 10 championships at UCLA and - in one stretch - 88 games in a row before retiring in 1975. CBS Sports Play-by-Play Announcer Dick Enberg looked back on Wooden's life on the "CBS Evening News" Saturday.
John Wooden was more teacher than basketball coach. He was praised for his leadership of young men on and off the court.
Recognized by most as the greatest coach in the history of basketball, his philosophy of teaching players lessons in life will serve as his ultimate gift. His message, simple: Success is striving to be the very best you can be; it's what you learn after you know it all that counts.
Hoosier-born, Wooden naturally gravitated to the game of basketball. His Martinsville High School team won the Indiana state championship. He was an academic star at Purdue while leading his college team to the 1932 collegiate championship, but it was at UCLA where he wrote his legacy of greatness.
Wooden arrived at UCLA with a basic philosophy: be quick but don't hurry. His teams were quick to win championships: an unprecedented 10 national titles, a record 88 consecutive wins, 38 straight victories in the NCAA championships, four undefeated seasons, seven championships in a row.
He coached, taught basketball legends all the while imparting basic wisdoms.
"Our 10 championships at UCLA, they were just the icing on the cake," said Wooden. "There is more value in the journey than in the victory itself."
A man of greatness, a man of goodness. He wrote in his final book, "The journey is better than the end," adding, "make each day of your journey a masterpiece."
"Somebody asked me, he said, 'Coach, are you afraid of death?'" Wooden recalled. "I said, 'No. I'm not going to try to hurry it up intentionally, but I'm not afraid. I've been too blessed."
John Robert Wooden: leader, coach, legend, teacher.
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