Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.
You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.
Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.
Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.
What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player.
The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.
The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.
Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.
It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.
If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.
Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
John Robert Wooden, a committed Christian, announced his retirement after the 1974-75 season (his 27th) as the UCLA Bruins' head coach with the winningest record in all of the sport's history. His 885-203 overall career win-loss record (.813) is unequaled. In 27 years as Bruin coach, his teams registered 620 wins, and only 147 losses. He won an unprecedented 10 NCAA championships, including seven consecutive (1966-73). Included in the string is one of the most amazing win streaks in all of sports, 38 straight NCAA tournament victories. There is the all-time NCAA consecutive winning-streak record of 88 games over four seasons, which included consecutive 30-0 seasons in 1971-72 and 1972-73. He also won 149 of 151 games in UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. He is the only coach to compile four undefeated seasons of 30-0 and his teams captured 19 conference championships. Coach Wooden is the first person to be inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.
