I guess the basketball theme continues. How thankful I am for basketball books and this one is definitely in the all-time top 10! After all it is the biography of America’s “winningest” coach and a true inspiration. The foreword by Bill Walton has a fantastic quote for all you basketball naysayers out there. John Wooden had taught Walton that it was not how tall you were, but how tall you play.

John Wooden for me is a great missed opportunity for my alma mater, the University of Minnesota. Wooden was from the Midwest and played college basketball in his home state of Indiana at Purdue University. He had been pursued for the head coaching position at the University of Minnesota. His beloved wife also wanted him to stay in the Midwest. However, severe weather in Minnesota made it difficult for the Golden Gophers to get in touch with Wooden over the phone. In a twist of fate, Wooden took the head coaching job with UCLA because he thought Minnesota had lost interest.

From hearing about John Wooden and from reading the book, I think it would be fair to say that here was a man who brought Midwestern values to the great city of Los Angeles. His humble attitude, loyalty to his wife and his livelihood of not being motivated by money definitely comes across in this book. The man has had four perfect seasons in his head coaching career but he talks about how one must be a good person before becoming a good basketball player.

Some of the key takeaways from this book are the lessons that have been imparted from the legendary coach such as the idea that quickness was essentially a mental skill based on anticipation instead of athleticism. I use a lot of the material in the book in my life like the notion that confidence should come from a lifetime of preparation. This book is a reminder in every single page that there is more to this coach than the UCLA basketball dynasty he was a part of and the record 10 NCAA national championships. Another book authored by the famous basketball coach that I would highly recommend is Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court.