Bill Walton famously said, “Everything that Coach Wooden told us eventually came true.”
The NBA Hall-of-Famer recently passed away at the age of 71. I wanted to share a speech he gave about his UCLA coach, John Wooden, and the life lessons that stuck with him for the rest of his life. For background, Walton was once bailed out of jail by Wooden after an anti-Vietnam war protest… Walton being a rebellious young man would be a small understatement.
Walton played under Wooden, widely considered the wisest basketball coach of all time. Wooden was known for radical success in the 1960s-70s, though he is now arguably best known today for his mantras and life teachings.
“Bill Walton, you are the slowest learner I’ve ever had. Don’t you realize it’s not about stuff. It’s not about material accumulation. It’s about training the mind to become the champion in everything you do. But that requires you to play on the teeter-totter of life. Leadership and risk and fearlessness. Ego and Humility.
Making the decision and choice that I am going to make the sacrifice for the greater goals of the team.”
That was a lot of wisdom in quick succession. Here are they are written down for you to ponder:
Wooden’s two sets of three’s:
Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal.
Don’t whine, don’t complain, don’t make excuses.
Walton’s recollection of Wooden’s maxims:
Be quick, but don’t hurry.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Happiness begins when selfishness ends.
Never mistake activity for achievement.
The worst things you can do for the ones you love are what they could and should do for themselves.
Stubbornness we deprecate; firmness we condone. The former is my neighbor's trait; the latter is my own.
When everybody thinks alike, nobody thinks.
It’s okay to disagree, just don’t be disagreeable.
1974 Graduation message for Walton:
It’s the things you learn after you know it all that count.
Wooden’s go-to Mantra:
Remember guys, basketball is just like life. It’s not a game of size and strength. It’s a game of skill, timing, and position. It’s not how big you are. It’s how big you play. It’s not how high you jump. It’s where you are and when you jump.
A coach can make a lasting impact. A coach can make a lifetime of difference.
Further Reading