"Talent is God given, be humble. Fame is man given, be grateful. Conceit is self given, be careful."

|Peter Boetke|

The great basketball coach, educator, and philosopher John Wooden (1910-2010) has passed away at 99.  Wooden was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (an outstanding All American carer at Purdue) and as a coach (10 National Championships at UCLA).  He did not win his first national championship at UCLA until he was 53 (1964) and won his last NCAA championship in 1975 (his last season coaching).  Though he has been retired since 1975, he has been a constant presence in the basketball and sporting world, and I would say the American conscience.

Even if you don't have an interest in basketball, Wooden's home-spun philosophy of leadership, learning and life is well worth studying.  In many ways he captured the folk philosophy of America -- a philosophy of hard work and responsibility; of excellence and of humility; and of individual talent and commitment to team.

Comments

[Skid-Vicious]

You know? This article is actually opposed to Ayn Rand philosophy.

[Richard Ebeling]

I'm not familiar with Wooden's "home spun philosophy" other than what Pete has summarized as its essential ideas.

I would find it interesting to know why "Skid-Vicious" finds it opposed to Rand's philosophy. Would it be Pete's reference to "humility" and "commitment to team"?

Richard Ebeling

[Peter Boettke]

Richard,

It is only "anti-Rand" if you get hung up on a few things related to spirituality and commitment to causes beyond one self. But Wooden's wisdom includes many sayings related to individual excellence and achievement of perfection in individual performance. I don't think team sports necessarily are anti-Rand, nor do I think humility is anti-Rand.

My favorite Wooden wisdom is "It is what you learn after you know it all that counts." I think it applies to us as well as to young athletes. And young economists would do well to learn that lesson and become lifetime learners, and the best way for them to learn that is for us older economiss to set that example.

Wooden was a good coach from 1948-1964, producing winning season but no NCAA championships. He also ended with a winning season, but certainly not perfect seasons. After a season in the early 1960s where his team won slightly more than they lost, he rethought his entire approach. He was over 50, but still learning. He learned from Pete Newell (the great U of Cal coach), and he studied others. And he made adjustments to the way he coached and the way he planned out the season and the message he gave to his players. At 53 he won his first NCAA title with a team that didn't have a single starter over 6'5".

Constant learning, constant striving for perfection, cultivating an expectation of excellence, etc. If that is "anti-" anything, then it is the "anything" that is wrong, not Wooden's 'homespun philosophy'.

[Richard Ebeling]

Thanks, Pete.

I looked at the pyramid, and it seemed to emphasize many of "individualistic" principles that need not be inconsistent in general with a Randian view, so I was wondering what "Skid" could have meant.

Richard Ebeling

[K Sralla]

Wooden is probably my personal all-time favorite coach that I have studied. There would probably be little disagreement among athletes that his style of coaching would have been much more enjoyable to play for than the old-style, in-your face head-game tactics of Bobby Knight. Both were genius in their own right, both incredible teachers of basketball, and both fantastically successful. However, Wooden displayed a certain grace and joy as he went about his business that makes for a very facinating study. This can almost be described as a quiet confidence that was communicated to his players almost without words. It suggested that yes, basketball is important, but there are even bigger things in life beyond this game. I think that attitude can often free up players to have the boldness to take risks and dream big, since they understand that the worse thing that can happen is that they end up with great memories of a full life. There is a large lesson in the legacy of Wooden about doing the kinds of things that yield success (as Pete points out), while still maintaining a life that is marked by love, gentleness, patience, and kindness. Wooden was the master teacher of this philosophy of life.

P.S. IMHO, Ayn Rand never learned this life lesson much to her own detriment and that of libertarianism at large. She was the Bobby Knight of political philosophy- It's my way or the highway. There are definately some areas of agreement between Woodenism and Objectivism, but the two also diverge in some important areas that should not be ignored.

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