James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Tuesday March 28, 2006

Former UCLA Coach John Wooden Molded Some of The NBA's Best - Fab Five From NCAA to NBA Success - NY Knick's Coach Larry Brown's NCAA Past - NBA's Vandeweghe's... Like Father Like Son

UCLA's John Wooden NCAA's Best of All-time

It's that time again when the top four teams in college basketball compete for the NCAA title in the drama called the FINAL FOUR. This is the culmination of a long season where college students play a tournament that begins with 64 teams. They play a knockout affair until the final four come together to fight for the championship.

From this event come many future NBA players. Former UCLA coach John Wooden is credited with producing some of the best players the NBA has ever had. Not only was Wooden a master at developing talent he was a genius at developing character.

Among those talented players that Wooden coached included three of the NBA's best, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Gail Goodrich. Jabbar and Walton are members of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list.

The three were members of seven of Wooden's NCAA record 10 championship teams. All were elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Goodrich was a member of Wooden's first two title teams in 1964 and 1965. Jabbar was the leader of the three-time NCAA title winning UCLA squads in 1967, 68 and 69. He was voted the tournaments MOP (Most Outstanding Player) in all of those tournaments. Walton led 1972 & 73 UCLA championship teams and was selected the tournaments MOP both years.

Jabbar had the most successful NBA career. He was selected the leagues Rookie of The Year in 1970. He played 20 seasons and amassed a 24.3 points per game average. He holds the record for most minutes played in a career with 57,446.

The 7-2/267lb (2,18/121.1) center was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks first title winning team in 1971 and was selected the MVP of the playoff finals.

Jabbar went on to leaf the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA titles in 1980, 82, 85, 87 & 88. He was selected the finals MVP in 1985. He was the league MVP in 1971, 72, 74, 76, 77 & 80.

Wooden is a man that is big enough to admit his mistakes and learn from them. He admitted that prior to winning his first NCAA title that he was too hard on his players. Along the way he learned tolerance.

That lesson was put to the test with Walton who was a radical during his youth. He had long hair that was not in the Wooden tradition. He was also a Deadhead a term used for those that were devoted followers of the rock music group the Grateful Dead.

Through Wooden's tutoring and discipline the strong willed and strong-minded Walton changed his ways and went on to have an impressive NBA career. He led the Portland Trailblazers to an NBA title in 1977 and a member of the Boston Celtics NBA title winners in 1986. The 6'11"/235lb (2,10/106.6) center was also selected the NBA's MVP (Most Valuable Player) in 1978.

Injuries reduced Walton's promising professional career causing him to sit out 4 years of his 14 professional seasons. During that time he played in only 468 games for 13,250 minutes.

Goodrich was a member of the 1972 Lakers NBA title winning team when he averaged 25.9 points per game. He logged 1031 games and 33,527 minutes is his 14-year professional career.

During that time he also played for the New Orleans Jazz (now Utah) and the Phoenix Suns.

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MICHIGAN'S FAB FIVE

One of the most memorable NCAA Tournament stories is that of the 1991-92 Michigan team the had four Freshman (1st college year) as starters, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose and Jimmy King. All went on to play in the NBA.

The Freshman who were basically 18 & 19 years old shocked the world when they made it to the final four. They lost in the semi-finals.

After that event a media person said to me how impressed he was with their fete. I dismissed it until he brought it to my attention…" But James… last year they were only in high school."

When you put their achievement into context they were basically young boys that were taking on and beating older season players.

They returned the following year as sophomores and duplicated their fete in making it to the final four again with the same result.

Webber, Rose and Howard remain in the NBA today and have had solid professional careers.

Webber, the 6-10/245lb (2.08/111.1) forward was selected the NBA Rookie of The Year in 1994. He left Michigan after his sophomore season (2nd year).

Entering this season he has produced a 21.8 points per game average during his 12-year (now 13) NBA career. He has played 26007 minutes in 686 games. He is now playing with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Rose is the son of former Detroit Piston, Houston Rockets and Kansas City Kings (now Sacramento) star guard Jimmy Walker.

Rose left Michigan after his junior (3rd) college year. Entering this NBA season he has register a 14.9 ppg average and registered 25,696 minutes played in 822 games in 11 seasons.

The 6-8/210lb (2.03/95.3) guard is now playing his 12th NBA season. He is now playing for the New York Knicks.

Juwan Howard is now in his 12th NBA season. Entering this season (past 11 years) the 6-9/250 (2.06/113.4) forward has totaled 791 games and played 28,704 minutes while registering a 17.2 ppg average. He is currently with the Houston Rockets.

Jimmy King played one year for the Toronto Raptors.

LARRY BROWN AROUND

If there's one thing Larry Brown is noted for it is getting around. But did you know that the current NY Knicks coach was the coach of UCLA during the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons?

He took the 79-80 team to the NCAA finals only to lose to Louisville 59-54 in the championship game. Current Denver Nuggets GM and former NBA player KiKi Vandeweghe was a member of that team.

Brown went on to win the NCAA title while coaching Kansas in 1988. They defeated Oklahoma 83-79 in the final. Former NBA player Danny Manning was a member of that team.

Among Brown's credits is coaching the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 NBA title and also being selected the NBA Coach of The Year in 2001.

DID YOU KNOW???

KiKi Vandeweghe's father was a member of the New York Knicks in the early 50's?

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