A Contrarian View on John Wooden

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• Bryan Posted: Jun.15 at 11:02 am
  Interesting take. I don’t like the timing as the man himself is no longer here to defend himself, and it’s not like this celebration of his accomplishments just started after he passed. This could have been written any number of times over the last 30 years , why now? It seems as if this was an oppurtunity to be on a soap box without having anyone to rebutt.

• michael Posted: Jun.15 at 11:17 am
  well good for you Peter A. Coclanis, hope you feel really good after writing that you utter, utter douche. Its a pity you didnt get a chance to punch the old guy in the face before he died and you could have really shown him.

• Ryan Jones Posted: Jun.15 at 11:17 am
  Yikes. Looking forward to seeing which UCLA history prof gets to slag Dean Smith after he kicks.

• Jason Posted: Jun.15 at 11:23 am
  WOW. That’s really respectful for a guy who just died. He only lived 100 freakin years and you wait to “expose” him after his death? Great article asshole.

• Ben Osborne Posted: Jun.15 at 11:35 am
  Damn, I meant to leave first comment that Peter was adament that he does not support UNC athletics and is actually a DePaul fan. The Sam Gilbert stuff has certainly been mentioned in some of the longer obituaries, though typically just in passing.

• nerditry Posted: Jun.15 at 11:42 am
  Or maybe comments #1-4 never took the time to ready any opinions or info on Wooden while he was still alive. Get over yourselves. When someone dies, you are going to get all perspectives on the man. Do you think that were he alive that Wooden would have responded to any of these, anyway. These are things that have been talked about for 40 years.

• Allenp Posted: Jun.15 at 11:57 am
  I wish he would have written something a little longer. Maybe went into the allegations for his strong statements more. I’m not disagreeing, but it would have made his argument stronger.

• WolfNast Posted: Jun.15 at 11:58 am
  Seriously though, is the article necessary. Jesus, he was such a great person and he just passed away. Is there someone else in the world of basketball you could do this sort of piece on? Wow. Too soon. In fact this is like a never article. Never write something like this again. K thanks. Wow.

• Tommy Patron Posted: Jun.15 at 11:59 am
  Way to TMZ it up again, SLAM.

• The Philosopher Posted: Jun.15 at 12:00 pm
  The author of this story is just doing what authors of stories do… Anyway, cheating and corruption has existed since basically the beginning of time. People have done it before Mr. Wooden, and they’ve surely have done it after Mr. Wooden. It is what it is. Still, John Wooden is the greatest basketball coach who’s ever lived, and I’m sure that the author of this story knows that.

• Simon Posted: Jun.15 at 12:03 pm
  Wow… such ridiculous vitriol. So not needed here & now whatsoever… Please get a life Mr. Cocklanis. John Wooden R.I.P.

• ol ricky rhodes Posted: Jun.15 at 12:17 pm
  People are so sensitive!!! This stuff is true, many many people know it, yet all that ever gets put on record is the “rose colored lenses” versions of Coach Wooden. I really admire the man for a lot of things, even have a couple of his books, but he wasn’t all ESPN says he was.

• BETCATS Posted: Jun.15 at 12:49 pm
  Haters gonna hate! But seriously, what type of crap is this? You cant deny the results Wooden produced. I could care less about the methods, and its not like every single coach of every single top rated school in every single sport of the college world doesnt do “under the table” stuff to give their program an edge. Wooden is not different, so what. I think this article was written to produce controversy so people would look at it, which it did. So well done to you for bringing things to light that nobody really cares about. Carry on.

• Dave Zirin Posted: Jun.15 at 1:15 pm
  I’m all for contrarian takes on public figures…. dead or alive. There is also more than enough to cite on Wooden to write a critical perspective. He was not a saint. But this has teh discomfiting feel of a hack job. When you are going after someone of Wooden’s stature, a pop-gun is just not up to the task.

• Ryan Jones Posted: Jun.15 at 1:21 pm
  If the gist of the piece is simply that Wooden has been idealized by his former players and the press, and that it’s worth noting that he was in fact human and flawed, so be it. Instead, we’re calling him a “poor sport, hypocrite and cheater” in the SECOND SENTENCE. That sets a pretty clear tone.
  So, even if the aw-shucks thing was a bit of a ruse, and the Gilbert stuff (which actually got a lot of play over the past couple weeks, probably most prominently in Slate) is legit, this goes way beyond an attempt to balance the historical record. It’s an attack piece, plain and simple.
  The truth should be out there, but perspective is nice, too. Was Wooden the only coach whose program crossed a lot of lines, or was he only the most successful? Are we implying that UNC (and, I guess, DePaul…) never had kids funneled through boosters — or, in Dean’s case, never had a seemingly humble and moralistic Midwestern coach who used the weight of his rep to influence refs? C’mon man.
  As for the author’s rooting interests: His claim of not being a UNC fan might be stronger if not for the fact that his only previous pieces for Slamonline were about a former Tar Heel.
  There’s a stench to this one.

• Bryan Posted: Jun.15 at 1:30 pm
  co-sign Jones.

• Aznballa3 Posted: Jun.15 at 2:13 pm
  Hmmm i always thought there was somethin fishy going on with wooden. Its sorta like how derek fisher acts like such a nice guy off the court and then slams some guy to the floor when he gets in the game (luis scola a couple yrs back). And quit complaining ppl; i hate how the truth can never b said about dead ppl (no disrespect intended) without everyone making a huge fuss.

• martey Posted: Jun.15 at 2:13 pm
  If he didn’t allow pot, Bill Walton wouldn’t have signed up

• Jon W. Posted: Jun.15 at 2:26 pm
  I just want to know for real……
  Is this stuff all true????
  Cuz I never really knew much about John Wooden except how great a guy he was. So can anybody tell me, what was he REALLY like?

• jbn74sb Posted: Jun.15 at 2:45 pm
  To the dipsh-t author: 1) Those who can, do. 2) Those who can’t, teach. 3) My dad played for Wooden. To a man, every alum of the program I’ve ever met has had the utmost respect for Wooden, from the stars on down to the scrubs.
  Does that mean he was perfect? Get a grip, tool.

• Knowledge Posted: Jun.15 at 3:18 pm
  When someone dies, you’re going to get every perspective on that person whether you like it or not. Be mature about it.

• T-Money Posted: Jun.15 at 3:37 pm
  I don’t care much for timing or his rooting interest. Is what he is saying factually correct? How credible is this prof? (I know nothing about him) If it’s true, then that’s information I didn’t have on Coach Wooden and it gives me a more complete idea of what he was about so that’s a plus. It’s also irrelevant if others were cheating or not in the context of this piece. If someone has the same dirt on Dean Smith then step forward and write your piece.

• The Philosopher Posted: Jun.15 at 3:42 pm
  Lew Alcindor went to Mr. Wooden’s deathbed on a moment’s notice from outside of the country. And, Lew has seen it all. Believe me on that one.

• d.Y. Posted: Jun.15 at 3:43 pm
  3rded.

• TotalHeel Posted: Jun.15 at 3:47 pm
  Peter C. could also have referenced when Bobby Knight was fired from IU. Wooden made a statement to the effect that he wouldn’t want his children to play for Bobby Knight. Bobby made a remark about Sam Gilbert in response. Also saw a show once where the Bruins used to tease Kareem (the Lew) that if he didn’t start practicing harder they were going to send him to the Lakers, where he wouldn’t make so much money. Personally more and more ambivalent on the NCAA infraction thing concerning BB. First of all, there are lots of coaches who win without the top flight recruits. Secondly, even if you break recruiting rules, you still have to build a cohesive team. Since Wooden retired nobody has come close to what he achieved in the NCAA tournament. Lots of reasons, some are better than others. But one thing is for certain, Wooden’s # of consecutive championships is without equal.

• Allenp Posted: Jun.15 at 3:49 pm
  I think that if you’re going to make strong statements like this, you have to expound more. Otherwise, you open yourself up to what happened in this comment section.
  Now, many of the allegations about Wooden have floated on the fringe for years and have been ignored in order to promote the “hero” narrative preferred by many folks. Some of y’all may have been unaware of it, but all you had to really think was “How did UCLA keep getting EVERY high profile athlete despite Wooden’s somewhat draconian rules?”
  I think all famous people held up as role models should have their pasts examined, but I think writers have a responsibility to be thorough and fair in their examinations. Most folks have skeletons in their closets, it’s all about how your present those skeletons in context.

• Alan Utter Posted: Jun.15 at 3:49 pm
  Authors like this write these outrageous articles simply to get themselves in the news. Wooden never cheated on anything, there is simply zero proof that he did. UCLA went on probation five years after Wooden retired due to on month’s rent paid by Gilbert for Tony Anderson, a player Wooden never recruited as he came into the program years after Wooden left. There are still lots of clowns envious of Wooden’s accomplishments who try to tear him down, offering all kinds of lies and no facts. Add this sad fool to the list.

• Allenp Posted: Jun.15 at 3:50 pm
  I also wonder what the writer expects from “religious” people.

• The Philosopher Posted: Jun.15 at 3:55 pm
  Many people cheat. Many, Many people. Now, if the legendary John Wooden cheated, (IF) then how many other coaches feel like they can cheat? That’s the picture I’m drawing if a previous statement of mine may have been misunderstood.

• T-Money Posted: Jun.15 at 4:42 pm
  Understanding that it’s a very emotional issue to some, facts finding is never a bad thing as long as it is not done with an agenda. There are enough rumors floating about the UCLA program of old for a journalist to do some serious investigation. The fact that Wooden was unconditionnally loved by his former players doesn’t make him more (or less) ethically virtuous. IF his players got paid, it should be mentioned. IF he cut cornes with the NCAA, it should be mentioned. IF all of this is untrue then the writer should be debunked and discredited. Forget the noise, it’s time for some investigative journalism. Who’s up for the task?

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.15 at 4:44 pm
  Did Kareem dunk on your head one too many times? Does Wooden have to give back the Presidential Medal of Freedom? Bill Walton’s ex-wife is bitter; Walton loves Wooden more than her. He never called her an “intergalatic treasure.” Wooden didn’t allow Bill Walton to smoke pot. Are you insane? Mr. Walton did ask, laying out the medical argument that is now law in some states. Walton did have a severe leg condition (see his NBA career). Wooden told him he didn’t know about the medical argument, but he did know marijuana was illegal–so, no, Walton wasn’t allowed by Wooden to smoke pot. Walton also asked Wooden to go to a Grateful Dead concert. You’re slipping–you missed that juicy one. [Wooden's answer to that was negative as well--BUFFOON.] You think Tarkanian is a good source? Couldn’t you get the deceased coach of City College of New York or any of the other coaches on the NCAA’s long list of probation coaches? Wooden didn’t know. At least three of the teams UCLA beat in the championship game or were defeated by in the Final Four during the twelve-year UCLA dynasty were on probation the year before or would go on probation the next year for what they were doing that year. 3 out of 12–25% of the teams UCLA faced for the championship or were eliminated by were probation teams. Wooden was a Christian. You’ve diminished your college. Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame speech–now this. Goodness Gracious Sakes Alive, Dean… By the way, your current basketball coach wrote a chapter in Wooden’s last book because Wooden is his hero. Look in the mirror–you’re far worse than Sam Gilbert.

• The Real General Tso Posted: Jun.15 at 4:52 pm
  Couldn’t agree more with the author; Wooden somehow gets a pass on his crooked program? What a joke. To compare Wooden to a class act like Dean Smith is comical.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.15 at 4:59 pm
  Not to Roy Williams, who knows both. Williams wrote a whole chapter in Wooden’s last book. Wooden is his mentor. Wooden is his hero. Wooden is the wind beneath his wings. Williams must really be comical.

• gmoney Posted: Jun.15 at 5:26 pm
  Classless article. John Wooden lived his life the right way.
  With that being said, there is no one comparable to Dean Smith.

• The Philosopher Posted: Jun.15 at 5:29 pm
  T-Money: You lose more credibility by the day.

• The Philosopher Posted: Jun.15 at 5:32 pm
  ^^it seems that way, anyway.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.15 at 6:03 pm
  I haven’t seen anything this bad since Sarah Palin hilariously misquoted John Wooden in her autobiography. She was actually quoting a Native American named John Wooden Legs. It may be the funniest John Wooden story of all time. [Gregory Dunn didn't break that story--he just didn't credit the people who did. And when Dunn tried to make fun of Palin for a second Wooden quote in her autobiography, he became the butt of the joke. Palin got the second quote right.] Was Dean Smith [mis]quoted by Sarah Palin in her autobiography? I think not.

• Blue Bedeviler Posted: Jun.15 at 6:40 pm
  The author should have offered proof of his accusations. If they can proven, then, do so. If not, then such articles as this should not be written.

• T-Money Posted: Jun.15 at 7:00 pm
  Philosopher: not offended at all, but what part of my comment made you say that?

• James Malinchak Posted: Jun.15 at 7:18 pm
  As someone that was fortunate enough to have lunch with Coach John Wooden I can say without a doubt that he was an AMAZING man. As a previous basketball player for Cincinnati I will say that he was an incredible coach. I just posted a short video about the lessons I learned from John about life and learning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L46mp1gLE80 He changed my life and positively influenced those around him.

• The Philosopher Posted: Jun.15 at 7:35 pm
  When you said how others cheating was out of context… but if you’re not trying to flame, then I wholly apologize.

• Katherine Posted: Jun.15 at 7:46 pm
  Great article because it is very true-I think Coach Wooden was a great Coach and man but nothing stated here is untrue

• T-Money Posted: Jun.15 at 7:57 pm
  What I meant was that others cheating was irrelevant in establishing facts. Kinda like Sosa and McGwire in the steroids era. They did cheat, that’s not subjective. In the context of their era, it doesn’t seem that whacky but the facts remain the same.

• The Philosopher Posted: Jun.15 at 8:12 pm
  ^^My bad, T.^^

• Tony_K Posted: Jun.15 at 11:09 pm
  Absolutely nothing wrong with what he said. If the truth hurts, don’t read it. The man was the biggest cheat in basketball whether you love him, like him or hate him. doesn’t change facts.

• Trojandnc Posted: Jun.15 at 11:12 pm
  Hey Professor, like Rupp, Wooden played by the rules (or lack thereof) at the time. You cannot judge the man on today’s laws when they did not exist then.

• Joe Posted: Jun.16 at 3:48 am
  For those of you who quizzically are asking why do we need to respect the dead. Please list the names of your great-great-grandparents so I can look up who they were (if you’re a white american they’re probable slave owners), and then I will list all of the atrocities and evil they did (both real and imagined) in their lifetimes. I will point out how you are a fool for loving them and how they will not be missed as they were evil trash who should be publicly humiliated, disparaged, embarrassed, and exposed for their despicable excuse of a life. And being as enlightened as you are I’m sure you’ll understand. John Wooden has a family just like we all do, that’s why you don’t speak ill of the dead. We will all (if you can read this, this means you) be joining the ranks of the deceased in the next century or less. That said if you still don’t get it you’re just dimwitted, and you have exposed this fact to the entire internet.

• Jukai Posted: Jun.16 at 8:31 am
  Not sure why my previous post did not make it through moderation, but the gist was this: bad taste, bad timing, no citations, and absolutely no reason to have this up.

• T-Money Posted: Jun.16 at 10:26 am
  Trojan: pretty sure the rules did exist then.

• ORiley Posted: Jun.16 at 10:49 am
  Sorry, the man is gone.
  Yes, he has provided a life that people will remember with utmost respect. He taught positive life lessons and he will be remembered for that.
  But…his (and UCLA’s) legendary “accomplishments” are very tarnished.
  Yes he won with the best players but how many of those players would have come to UCLA or stayed at UCLA without all those perks. And if any of those stars had not come or had left, would he had been able win all the titles? I do not believe so.
  John Wooden was a friendly and wise man who had assistance in winning. His legendary stature was built on a unfair foundation. Sorry, I do not respect him anymore than: Bob Knight, Dean Smith, Mike K., or Tom Izzo.
  I was going to say that UK had the most legitimate titles, but their first three were questionable also.
  Sorry, but the truth hurts

• Allenp Posted: Jun.16 at 11:01 am
  I really dislike when people say we should judge morality by the times in which people lived.
  Seriously, that’s stupid.

• Jukai Posted: Jun.16 at 12:13 pm
  Allen, do you remember when QUITE a ton of SLAM commentators threw a tantrum when Eddie Griffin died, all cause a few people DARED bring up the fact that he wasn’t a saint? I have a recollection quite a few regulars did, but it was a while ago, so I can’t be sure.
  Cause a LOT of SLAM commentators yelled and screamed.
  Now it’s okay?
  I have a feeling it’s because one was a ‘poor troubled black youth’ and the other was a ‘rich, white beloved icon.’
  But it’s all the same. The man just DIED. Many, many, many people are suffering from that fact, no matter how old he was. NOW is when you blast him with allegations? I’ve hated that logic. It’s a hack way for nobodies like Coclanis to get their names out, by bringing up shaky facts on people who literally just passed away. Bring it up when the immediate mourning has passed. I know that’s a subjective time zone, but for chrissakes, nobody in their right minds would say it would be now.
  The pot nonsense seems to be pure bullsh*t. The giving cars to players who signed with UCLA? Probably far more true. But “a poor sport, hypocrite, and cheater?” Really? Everyone who has met the man and chatted a few words said they made them a better person. He was gracious in defeat and NEVER caused a ruckus when he won.
  This foxhunt crap is grating and unprofessional.
  But hey— he’s dead! He can’t say anything! No harm, no foul!

• Ronald Posted: Jun.16 at 12:16 pm
  @Allenp I think you might have opened a big can of worms full of ethical debates. I think morality/ethics change according to the times. At least certain cultural morality/ethics. I’m in no position to agree or disagree with the article, but at least the author had the decency to write his name on this TMZ-type article. I’ve seen too many “editorial” news report on Slamonline.com with no author name. At least Coclanis avoids internet anonymity and will/has receive the flak for writing this excuse of an article. I hope he doesn’t comment on the responses in the vein of “your comment has made this article a success” ala San Dova.

• cgg Posted: Jun.16 at 12:30 pm
  any one knows that it is almost impossible to go into north carolina and get the top recruit to go to california to play basketball. it happened with wooden and his money train. henry bibby was located in the middle of unc duke, state ,and wake forest but they did not have enough money to keep him home. when i talk about coach smith i don’t even put wooden’s name on the same page. i wished he coached today were you have more ncaa control and you would find out just how much he could coach. it took him ten years to win his first conference champ until he met gilbert. what a joke of a coach and i said this before he died.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.16 at 2:07 pm
  Actually, Wooden won the conference championship each of his first four years at UCLA–shockingly, since UCLA had always been mediocre at best. UCLA wasn’t North Carolina (until this professor ruined it), Duke, Indiana, or Kentucky. Wooden’s Indiana State teams could have named the score against UCLA. UCLA basketball was depressing before Wooden. Everything in this article is untrue. Wooden had already won three national championships in four years and had Lew Alcindor before Sam Gilbert showed up at games with apples and oranges for players. No one disputes this. Sam Gilbert never had anything to do with recruiting. No one disputes this. Wooden had also narrowly lost in the Final Four before Gilbert. Wooden himself was a former college player of the year; Wooden went to the Indiana title game three out of three years in high school; in college, Purdue won the equivalent of at least one and probably two national championships; in addition to being the player of the year, Wooden was the top student-athlete in the Big Ten. Compare that to Bob Knight, Dean Smith or whomever you like. Sam Gilbert did that too? NC State, Florida State (the scandal of scandals at the time), Villanova were all on probation the year before or would be put on probation for what they were doing when they faced UCLA in the championship game or eliminated UCLA in the Final Four during the twelve-year UCLA dynasty. The NCAA wasn’t just going after Cleveland State. UCLA was on probation for multiple years because of a league-wide football scandal during Wooden’s tenure, and the probation covered basketball. Some of us know everything about Wooden. Give it up. This “professor” ranks below Sarah Palin in his knowledge of the subject. And Sarah Barracuda would eat him alive.

• Orkie Glazer Posted: Jun.16 at 5:22 pm
  To the Dean smith poster above—the professor here is dead on–a few ACTUAL facts for you–Wooden won zero national titles his first 15 years at UCLA and it wasn’t until Sam Giilbert showed up that he even came close. More than that regarding his titles in conference–the late Pete Newell showed up in 1955 at California and by 1960 was a National Champion–Cal was a lot worse than UCLa ever was—look this up if you ever want to learn anything about basketball—the last 8 times they played against each other Newell 8 Wooden 0 and it wasn’t until he got his head handed to him by arguably the greatest teacher the game has ever seen, that he started to look up papa Sam’s phone number. Everyone in basketball at that time knew about Sam Gilbert and John Wooden and the fact that it’s been glossed over by the media is a major injustice to the honest and great teachers of the game. Sadly, while Wooden may have won, he was far from the greatest coach ever–he wasn’t even the best coach in California….

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.16 at 9:26 pm
  To Orkie Glazer: You forgot to mention Wooden won the first seven against Newell, you sly devil; don’t blame Wooden Newell couldn’t take the heat and retired at 44. But “Newell” shouldn’t come out of your mouth: he was a great coach. There’s never been a coach who was a greater teacher than Wooden. A Stanford professor wrote a book about him, Carol Dweck (who is sane and cites sources unlike present company), contrasting him with Knight (sorry, Knight fans). Scientists study Wooden (myelin, don’t you know). Professors study him and write articles and books about him (Gallimore, Tharp–too many to list here). Teachers study him and write books about him (too many to name). You’re in way over your head here. And Wooden has been voted by every reputable source the greatest coach of all time in any sport, including the recent Sporting News final word. Wooden and Newell were friends; all or some of Newell’s books are co-authored by one of Wooden’s former players. There are other coaches with great short-lived careers who couldn’t take the stress and retired at the age Newell did. You just don’t know who they are. There’s only one Wooden. Re-reading time for you; fact-checking time, too; give one cite (note there are no citations from “da professor”): Again, no one disputes when Sam Gilbert showed up with apples and oranges for players: it was AFTER Wooden had won THREE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, and had BARELY lost in another FINAL FOUR to the eventual champion, and had LEW ALCINDOR. And Sam Gilbert never had anything to do with recruiting Wooden’s players. No one disputes that. Why Wooden didn’t win before his incredible 1963-1964 underdogs (still the shortest championship team of all time): UCLA had 3 winning seasons in 21 when Wooden arrived (can you please read before you open your mouth?). Wooden said six or seven of his first fifteen UCLA teams could have won it all. “Could.” Not “should.” Wooden blamed himself, mostly (a person such as yourself can’t understand Wooden). Here’s the rundown: 1952: team’s leading scorer breaks toe in shower on eve of conference title game. 1953-6: UCLA had very strong teams but San Francisco had the greatest basketball player of all time–do you even know who he is? I think Wooden eliminated him the one year out of three he didn’t win it all. He was unstoppable in the NBA too. After Bill Russell (that’s his name): League-wide football scandal; UCLA put on probation for three years–including Wooden’s completely innocent basketball program. After football scandal: Pete Newell. Also, at some point Wooden had Rafer Johnson but no full-court zone press (his assistant coach Jerry Norman hadn’t invented it yet); Rafer Johnson could have taken Keith Erickson’s place. Then UCLA made the Final Four, losing by two points to the eventual champion, and the game was closer than that. It took Wooden two years to teach his assistant coach Jerry Norman’s full-court zone press (they invented it), then UCLA won 10 of 12, beating two probation teams in the championship game (and losing to a third in the Final Four Bill Walton and Keith Wilkes’ senior year). The one year, every coach raised hell that Florida State’s notorious team was allowed in the tournament–every coach except one. He was gracious to Florida State’s coach and players. He just beat them in the championship game. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/alexander_wolff/06/03/wooden.1964/index.html Start citing.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.16 at 9:44 pm
  Orkie Glazer, you’re wrong. UCLA had 3 winning seasons in 21 when Wooden began (see citation in my answer). Cal? “The Golden Bears first played basketball intercollegiately in 1907 and began full conference play in 1915. The 1920s was the dominant decade for Cal basketball, as the Bears won 6 conference titles under coaches E.H. Wright and Nibs Price. Nibs Price would coach Cal with great success for 30 years from 1924 to 1954, earning a 449-294 total record, many single season winning records, and an additional 3 conference titles in the 1930s and 1940s.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Golden_Bears#Men.27s_basketball_history You never cited anything. Wikipedia will do.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.16 at 10:07 pm
  Again, Newell “got his head handed to” himself 7 times in a row before he beat Wooden 8 times in a row. Newell got a good big man. Then, Newell “got his head handed to” himself by Newell. He was a wreck. Newell retired in 1960, age 44. Problem solved. Also, why would Wooden have “looked up Papa Sam” after Newell retired? Newell retired at age 44. He was a wreck. He couldn’t take the stress. Newell solved the Newell problem himself. And how would one “look up” Sam Gilbert? The guy showed up at games with apples and oranges. Would you look in the phone book under “apples and oranges?” If it were that easy, Tarkanian would have called Gilbert first.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.16 at 10:10 pm
  Orkie Glazer, you’re wrong. UCLA had 3 winning seasons in 21 when Wooden began (see citation in my answer). Cal? “The Golden Bears first played basketball intercollegiately in 1907 and began full conference play in 1915. The 1920s was the dominant decade for Cal basketball, as the Bears won 6 conference titles under coaches E.H. Wright and Nibs Price. Nibs Price would coach Cal with great success for 30 years from 1924 to 1954, earning a 449-294 total record, many single season winning records, and an additional 3 conference titles in the 1930s and 1940s.” You never cited anything. Wikipedia will do.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.16 at 10:14 pm
  To Orkie Glazer: You forgot to mention Wooden won the first seven against Newell, you sly devil; don’t blame Wooden Newell couldn’t take the heat and retired at 44. But “Newell” shouldn’t come out of your mouth: he was a great coach. There’s never been a coach who was a greater teacher than Wooden. A Stanford professor wrote a book about him, Carol Dweck (who cites sources unlike present company), contrasting him with Knight (sorry, Knight fans). Scientists study Wooden (myelin, don’t you know). Professors study him and write articles and books about him (Gallimore, Tharp–too many to list here). Teachers study him and write books about him (too many to name). You’re in way over your head here. And Wooden has been voted by every reputable source the greatest coach of all time in any sport, including the recent Sporting News final word. Wooden and Newell were friends; all or some of Newell’s books are co-authored by one of Wooden’s former players. There are other coaches with great short-lived careers who couldn’t take the stress and retired at the age Newell did. You just don’t know who they are. There’s only one Wooden. Re-reading time for you; fact-checking time, too; give one cite (note there are no citations from “da professor”): Again, no one disputes when Sam Gilbert showed up with apples and oranges for players: it was AFTER Wooden had won THREE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, and had BARELY lost in another FINAL FOUR to the eventual champion, and had LEW ALCINDOR. And Sam Gilbert never had anything to do with recruiting Wooden’s players. No one disputes that. Why Wooden didn’t win before his incredible 1963-1964 underdogs (still the shortest championship team of all time): UCLA had 3 winning seasons in 21 when Wooden arrived (can you please read before you open your mouth?). Wooden said six or seven of his first fifteen UCLA teams could have won it all. “Could.” Not “should.” Wooden blamed himself, mostly (you can’t understand Wooden). Here’s the rundown: 1952: team’s leading scorer breaks toe in shower on eve of conference title game. 1953-6: UCLA had very strong teams but San Francisco had the greatest basketball player of all time–do you even know who he is? I think Wooden eliminated him the one year out of three he didn’t win it all. He was unstoppable in the NBA too. After Bill Russell (that’s his name): League-wide football scandal; UCLA put on probation for three years–including Wooden’s completely innocent basketball program. After football scandal: Pete Newell. Also, at some point Wooden had Rafer Johnson but no full-court zone press (his assistant coach Jerry Norman hadn’t invented it yet); Rafer Johnson could have taken Keith Erickson’s place. Then UCLA made the Final Four, losing by two points to the eventual champion, and the game was closer than that. It took Wooden two years to teach his assistant coach Jerry Norman’s full-court zone press (they invented it), then UCLA won 10 of 12, beating two probation teams in the championship game (and losing to a third in the Final Four Bill Walton and Keith Wilkes’ senior year). The one year, every coach raised hell that Florida State’s notorious team was allowed in the tournament–every coach except one. He was gracious to Florida State’s coach and players. He just beat them in the championship game. Look up Sports Illustrated, Alexander Wolff (my links got blocked). And start citing, for Goodness Sake.

• Orkie Glazer Posted: Jun.16 at 11:06 pm
  Smith–you know not of what you speak. Fact:Pete Newell was NOT a friend of John Wooden, had no respect for him and knew he always cheated not to mention the bogus claim Wooden made that he never scouted an opponent–total crap. Now let me teach you about coaching: Newell came to a dormant program and if you took the time to look at the scores you would see that each year the games got closer as Newell’s teams learned all about basketball. The guy was at UCLA for a decade surely using the same tactics he’d always had just not with the same sugar daddy–Newell comes in takes a few years to build his program than lays the wood to the national championship-less coach the last 8 times they play. Furthermore, Newell went to the pros-for from retirement and in all honesty you have no clue what you are talking about when you talk about Coach Newell so please don’t continue to say things about him that are untrue. I’m wondering why you never cited above the probation UCLA BASKETBALL was put on after the cheater retired….don’t let facts get in your way. I’m not sure what is more pathetic–your saying Sam Gilbert wasn’t involved with UCLA before they had won and therefore his buying, paying, feeding and then representing players were irrelevant to their success, or the fact that you are trying to justify wooden getting his head handed to him by a coach who ate his lunch time and again…the best thing to happen to wooden was Newell going to the pros or it would have been years of beat down–by the way I forgot more coaches than you will ever know so please don’t lecture me on coaches/coaching. Another thing–everyone disputes your claim about alcindor and Gilberts involvement–just cuz you say so doesn’t make it true….I believe your referencing the articles that college professors did on wooden is exactly this articles point–that teh myth of wooden was far greater than the cheating actual wooden…here’s a guy who was such a control freak he had his players practice putting on their socks but that same guy din’t know about Sam Gilbert??? Not plausible–to quote cbs sprotsline “Wooden was at UCLA for 15 years, from 1948-63, without winning an NCAA championship. And then from 1964-76 he won 10 titles in 12 years. What changed? Sam Gilbert’s involvement changed.” (citation)Here is another for you from Bill Walton’s book: “”I hate to say anything that may hurt UCLA, but I can’t be quiet when I see what the NCAA is doing (to other coaches) only because (they have) a reputation for giving a second chance to many black athletes other coaches have branded as troublemakers. The NCAA is working night and day trying to get (them), but no one from the NCAA ever questioned me during my four years at UCLA.”"It’s hard for me to have a proper perspective on financial matters, since I’ve always had whatever I wanted since I enrolled at UCLA,” Wow sure sounds like that program was on the up and up…what a true gentleman of integrity and character—you wanted citation you got it–argue all you want but no matter how much you cry about it the facts do not change…get over it—your hero was a fraud—let me end it with another citation from Dan Wetzel at the basketball times: “But none of this is a secret in basketball. In the late 1970s, after Wooden retired, the Los Angeles Times did an investigation of Gilbert and the NCAA was forced to sanction UCLA, but never vacated any championships. Then there is Walton’s book, which couldn’t be more damning. The NCAA never bothered to investigate UCLA during Wooden’s time, part of its history of selective enforcement. During the 1960s and ’70s, the organization, run by old white men, was too busy going after small, upstart programs that dared to play too many African-Americans, launching inquiries into Texas Western/UTEP, Western Kentucky, Centenary and Long Beach State. Apparently a team capturing 10 titles in 12 years, putting together undefeated season after undefeated season, recruiting high school All-Americans from all over the country to sit on the bench, yet never having them transfer or declare hardship wasn’t enough for it to dawn on anyone at the NCAA that, gee, maybe they’re cheating? But that is your NCAA.” Here end-eth the lesson Dean

• Orkie Glazer Posted: Jun.16 at 11:21 pm
  Smith–I’ll add one more thing—the only reason the man who made his reputation on cheating didn’t win beforehand is he didn’t have the right system yet–once a cheater always a cheater–the was no reason to wonder if he was cheating anywhere else or the first 15 years at UCLA was because he didn’t win anything—if a man would cheat without any qualms while he was winning, how much more so would the shackles be off when he was losing–fact is he wasnt as good a cheater so there was no reason to care if he cheated—the evidence however is pretty clear that he most definitely cheated–not even in dispute–(gee I like that trick–thanks for teaching me how to say that) therefore quite possibly the only reason he didnt win was he wasnt good enough at cheating yet…surely when the right helper came along he was the best–best there ever was—cheater that is…btw it makes perfect sense that would would claim his teams could have won 7 or 8 times–it makes it look like it was all on the level then and afterwards…sorry deano–you boy needed help–most cheaters do

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.16 at 11:25 pm
  Wow. How about this. Name the pro team you imply Newell became the coach of.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.16 at 11:37 pm
  Wooden and Newell were “dear friends”: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15231433

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.17 at 12:07 am
  UCLA was not sanctioned because of the Wooden years. It was the Larry Brown years five or so years after Wooden. Why didn’t the UCLA ever do anything to Wooden? The NCAA didn’t do anything to Wooden because Wooden didn’t do anything wrong.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.17 at 12:33 am
  And Wooden was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player–before Sam Gilbert showed up to help UCLA basketball players and USC football players. Wooden was a national sensation after 1964. Again, B.G. Before Gilbert. Wooden’s reputation was already made. Gilbert was drawn like a moth to the light. Same thing with Gilbert and USC football.

• Orkie Glazer Posted: Jun.17 at 11:19 am
  Time to teach you again deano… “The two old rivals clearly had become dear friends in the 44 years since Newell retired as Cal’s bench coach” So says a sportwriter SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE–I would be more than happy to share with you audio of private conversations with Coach that unequivocally disputes that claim. Newell worked in the front office of both the Lakers and Cavs but of course you wouldn’t know that if it wasn’t on wilipedia…. “Why didn’t the UCLA ever do anything to Wooden? ” hmmm–why didnt the school that was winning championship after championship and cheating publicly in front of the NCAA who ignored it do anything? is that a serious question? “The NCAA didn’t do anything to Wooden because Wooden didn’t do anything wrong.” I am guessing you must be from Yorba Linda so I will repost again…pay attention this time okay? “The NCAA never bothered to investigate UCLA during Wooden’s time, part of its history of selective enforcement. During the 1960s and ’70s, the organization, run by old white men, was too busy going after small, upstart programs that dared to play too many African-Americans, launching inquiries into Texas Western/UTEP, Western Kentucky, Centenary and Long Beach State. Apparently a team capturing 10 titles in 12 years, putting together undefeated season after undefeated season, recruiting high school All-Americans from all over the country to sit on the bench, yet never having them transfer or declare hardship wasn’t enough for it to dawn on anyone at the NCAA that, gee, maybe they’re cheating? But that is your NCAA.” Once a cheater always a cheater and I am not sure Coach had less respect for any other Coach in his profession than Wooden–he knew all about him as did most other coaches–fraud

• Steve Posted: Jun.17 at 12:42 pm
  Orkie: I’ve read some of your articles on the Internet. As a Trojan parent, and a UNC grad, I’m interested in what you think about the NCAA’s punishment of USC. Deserved? Excessive? Who at USC knew or should have known.

• Hoosier Posted: Jun.17 at 7:44 pm
  Wow. John Wooden was the greatest man to grace the Earth with his presence in the 20th century. Shame on you for this article. Coach Wooden is now seated with his Lord and Savior as well as his beloved wife Nell, and he just looks down on this pathetic attempt to get a few reads and turns the other cheek. That’s how great of a man he was. Simply, he was the best. Grow up, sir.

• The Philosopher Posted: Jun.17 at 8:21 pm
  There you have it. People cheated.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.21 at 9:50 am
  Orkie writes (again and again): “During the 1960s and ’70s, the organization, run by old white men, was too busy going after small, upstart programs that dared to play too many African-Americans, launching inquiries into Texas Western/UTEP, Western Kentucky, Centenary and Long Beach State.” You can’t answer how at least 25% of the teams whom UCLA faced in the championship game or were eliminated by in the Final Four during the 12-year UCLA dynasty were notorious big-time basketball programs one year off probation or even worse about to be put on probation for what they were doing that year, putting the lie to your argument. I’ll spell them out for you (again): Florida State NC State Villanova Also: UCLA basketball because of a league-wide FOOTBALL sanction was on probation for 3 YEARS during the Wooden years, which also helps explain why he didn’t win before 1963-4. And UCLA was put on probation five years after Wooden because of the Larry Brown years.

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.21 at 9:54 am
  Also, Orkie, if you have blockbuster Pete Newell tapes, why in the world are you not releasing them?

• Dean Smith Posted: Jun.21 at 10:06 am
  Also, Orkie, since you speak for “most” coaches, please explain how the Sporting News recent final word, voted by some of the greatest coaches, once again–by a landslide–named Wooden the greatest coach of all time… college or professional in any sport.

• Barry Posted: Jul.6 at 11:12 am
  Wow, just goes to show that no matter how honest and upright you are some hopelessly cynical idiot with a computer and an internet connection will find a way to trash you with baseless innuendo. This piece is totally devoid of facts indicating that Wooden knew anything about any corrupt practices of Gilbert during his tenure. Even if Bill Walton’s first wife were a credible source with no ax to grind, what does it mean that Wooden “allowed” Walton to smoke pot? That he failed to follow him around everywhere he went to make sure he wasn’t smoking it? Mr. Coclanis, I would suggest a nice antidepressant. Or maybe you enjoy being a negativist. In which case, please drop dead.

• Barry Posted: Jul.6 at 11:19 am
  Oh, and to supplement my previous email, it’s a sure sign that you’re dealing with a kook when he starts talking about how such-and-such is the truth but “the media won’t report it.” Yeah, right. We all know how the media in this country just hates to dig up dirt on celebrities and sports stars. You know, they way they protected Tiger Woods’ reputation at all costs and refused to report on his philandering. Or the way this morning, they refused to report that Jamarcus Russell was arrested for having an unprescribed bottle of cough syrup. Mr. Colclanis, why don’t you go join your fellow kooky conspiracy theorists in the 9/11 Truth Movement, if you’re not already a card-carrying member.

• John Johnson Posted: Jul.10 at 8:34 pm
  For all of you people wanting more facts, they have this thing called the internet, use it…. There are plenty of articles talking about this subject that go back many years.

• Barry Posted: Jul.12 at 10:34 am
  John Johnson: And not one of those articles contains facts establishing ANY culpability on the part of Wooden. Thank you for illuminating my point. The media HAS reported on this for a long time and has not unearthed a single piece of evidence incriminating John Wooden.

• rusoviet Posted: Dec.23 at 10:20 pm
  Oh come let us adore him – for he is in the pantheon of the holy – oh come let us adore him St. John The Divine…. His successor at UCLA Gene Bartow was amazed at the extent Gilbert’s talons had in the program and confronted him only to be told by Gilbert that he (Bartow) would be killed. You asses that bow to Wooden better understand ‘johnnie’ never had the stones to confront Gilbert 0- Gilbert took one look at ‘johnnie’ and laughed. Bobby Knight maybe a real troubled and messed up soul but he’s right about one thing he didn’t cheat woodie did and made sure any allusions to his corruption would be opened up after ‘johnnie’ passed on – that way acolytes could decry ‘he’s not here to defend himself’ DuFresne of the LA Times gave his holiness that chance but the fraud said ‘no’.