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Q: You obviously, from some of the things you’ve said, have a love of poetry. W: I do. Q: I’m wondering if you see a comparison there between good basketball and poetry? Like poetry in motion? W: Well, in basketball, the poetry in motion wouldn’t be like these ice skaters we’re seeing, and some of the dancers we see. That’s more poetry in motion than basketball. But to some extent. I don’t believe I would see a connection there. Perhaps in some individuals, in an individual here and there, you’ll see that. I think of a forward that I had, by the name of Keith Wilkes. So smooth and graceful that you might see that in him. He was so smooth and graceful, he almost, people wouldn’t notice how much he’s doing. Then maybe they’d look at the box score, and ‘Well, I didn’t know he got maybe 10 or 12 points. I didn’t think he got seven or eight rebounds.’ Nothing flashy, just smooth, graceful. And doing the little things. Always thinking. And so there are individuals. But as far as a group as a whole, I wouldn’t get a connection there, I do believe. Q: Would you classify your play as a basketball player, as that type? As poetry in motion? W: I got a little frantic at times. Uh, not as much as I see in others. [As a player, Wooden was sometimes called the Indiana Rubber Man because he hit the floor and bounced up so often.] Q: As a coach at UCLA, you had many great moments. How did your time at Purdue help you achieve those moments? W: Well, I think having the opportunity to be under the supervision of a person like Mr. Lambert. The things that maybe, like with your father, you don’t realize at the time, but later, subconsciously, the things come out. And you realize, well, really I got this from Coach Lambert, or other people. Certainly the friends, the different relationships -- I think that the relationships that you have in your college days. That’s closer [than high school] to the time you get out there, and so they have a definite influence on what you’re going to do after it. It’s not just the education, but the relationships with other people. The things you learn. And I think in sports, you have relationships with different players of different temperaments, and you have to learn to work with all of them, a different type. And I think later, when you get into, out on your own, these things, I think maybe subconsciously that they’ve been a great influence on you. Q: Let’s talk a little bit about Mackey Arena. What kind of memories you have of it, especially since UCLA played in the inaugural game there in 1967. W: We dedicated that, yes. A tremendous game. One of our players hit a shot right at the last to win it for us. And I, as a result -- not only just that, I had my teams dedicate a number of different, new arenas: Notre Dame, Ohio State and some others. And when I speak at coaching clinics, there’s a couple things I advise coaches not to do. Never dedicate a place at someplace. They make a crusade out of it. At Purdue, particularly, my alma mater, I didn’t get to be with my team, at the halftime at all. They’re in the dressing room. They have things there, which I have to do, you know. The team’s back through the half. My assistant talks to ’em, not that they didn’t do all right, but you’d like to be with your team at halftime. There’s always so much things going on, that I always advise ’em, Never get involved with dedicating a new place. First of all, never, never, at your alma mater. But try, never anyplace would really be better. And also, never schedule a team that is taught by one of your dearest of friends or a relative. Don’t do that! Because, oh my, they don’t -- I did that with my brother, and he didn’t speak to me for a year after. We beat him too much. So don’t do that. That’s what I advise them. My memory of the dedication of Mackey Arena is, it was a tremendous game, a close game. But I remember not getting to be with my team. It was just rushed. But now, remember, I’m not saying that it’s not all pleasant, I don’t mean that, but it was just things that naturally had to happen. And it was also a great game. Q: What were your first impressions of that building? Being a Purdue alum, and at the time, I guess, it was somewhat of a revolutionary structure, the design? W: Yes. But there were quite a few around the country there that we’d been in, and it wasn’t too much different in that respect. I was just glad to see Purdue finally getting a better place right on the campus themselves. Although as I said, it should never have been named Mackey Arena. Stretch Murphy and I campaigned to get that. We tried to get it named after Lambert, our coach. And I still think that’s what’s right, because Coach Red, in all respect to him, and I’m not knocking him in any way, he was a football man. He was not a basketball man, and that’s a basketball arena. And we thought it should have been named for Lambert, who I think is one of the greatest teachers that the game has ever had, and one of the most highly principled coaches, or anybody else that you’d find anywhere. |
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