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John Wooden Quotes

1910–2010 United States

John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1961) and a coach (1973). He was the first person ever enshrined in both categories; only Lenny Wilkens and Bill Sharman have since been so honored.

United States
Basketball coaches
Basketball players
Non-fiction authors

Random John Wooden quote

15 quotes

You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

They Call Me Coach (1972)

Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court (1997)

The main ingredient of stardom, is the rest of the team.

They Call Me Coach (1972)

Failure is not fatal but failure to change might be.

Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court (1997)

A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself for the group, for the good of the group — that’s teamwork.

IBM Linux Commercial: The Prodigy (2003)

Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be thankful. Conceit is self-given; be careful.

They Call Me Coach (1972)

Success is peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction and knowing you’ve made the effort, do the best of what you’re capable.

Interview on Charlie Rose (2000)

You control the terms of the conflict. Make them play your game. Don’t try to play theirs.

Interview on Charlie Rose (2000)

Don’t beat yourself. That’s the worst kind of defeat you’ll ever suffer.

Interview on Charlie Rose (2000)

Young people need models, not critics.

They Call Me Coach (1972)

Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.

They Call Me Coach (1972)

Make each day your masterpiece.

Interview on Charlie Rose (2000)

The outstanding coach is a teacher that gets all his squad to accept the role that he considers to be the most important for the welfare of all.

Interview on Charlie Rose (2000)

You should never try to be better than someone else, you should always be learning from others. But you should never cease trying to be the best you could be because that’s under your control and the other isn’t.

Interview on Charlie Rose (2000)

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Misattributed

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: John Wooden (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.