Thaindian News

By Madhuri Dey
June 7, (THAINDIAN NEWS) John Wooden’s death has come as a great cause for sorrow in the basketball community of the United States.

The legendary coach passed away on Friday, according to reports, of natural causes. He was 99 years old at the time of his death. He had been admitted at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in May 26, where he breathed his last.

Needless to say, his death has come as a great shock to the basketball fans of the country, and all peers have offered their condolences in the official statements. One such was Bill Walton, formerly a player with the UCLA. He had played under the leadership of the late John Wooden from 1970 to 1974.

Bill Walton said that the leadership of John Wooden had brought out the best in him, and assured that the same can be said of all the others who had played under the legendary coach too.

He said that the part that he liked best about the coaching of John Wooden was that he never failed to put up an example before his team, his own example, and that he never asked the players to do anything that he had not already achieved before, and so could be certain that the goal was not unreachable.

Bill Watson also went on to say that he had grown to regard the late John Wooden as more than just a great coach; he had actually started to hail him as a father figure of sorts.

He had been to college in very turbulent times, when the Vietnam war was still continuing in full force, and an anti-war activist, he majorly gained the support of John Wooden.