Coach Wooden and me our 50-year friendship on and off the court
When future NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an 18-year-old high school basketball prospect from New York City named Lew Alcindor, he accepted a scholarship from UCLA largely on the strength of Coach John Wooden's reputation as a winner. It turned out to be the right choice, as Alcindor...
| Main Author: | Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, 1947- (Author) |
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Grand Central Publishing,
2017.
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: |
When future NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an 18-year-old high school basketball prospect from New York City named Lew Alcindor, he accepted a scholarship from UCLA largely on the strength of Coach John Wooden's reputation as a winner. It turned out to be the right choice, as Alcindor and his teammates won an unprecedented three NCAA championship titles. But it also marked the beginning of one of the most enduring friendships in the history of sports. Now Abdul-Jabbar reveals the inspirational story of how his bond with John Wooden evolved from a history-making coach-player mentorship into a deep and genuine friendship that transcended sports, shaped the course of both men's lives, and lasted for half a century. From the first day of practice, when the players were taught the importance of putting on their athletic socks properly, to gradually absorbing the sublime wisdom of Coach Wooden's now famous "Pyramid of Success"; to learning to cope with the ugly racism that confronted black athletes during the turbulent Civil Rights era as well as losing loved ones, Abdul-Jabbar fondly recalls how Coach Wooden's fatherly guidance not only paved the way for his unmatched professional success but also made possible a lifetime of personal fulfillment. |
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| Item Description: |
Includes index. |
| Physical Description: |
290 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| ISBN: |
9781455542277 145554227X 9781538760116 1538760118 |
| Author Notes: |
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