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The little condo on Margate Street in Encino, Calif., wouldn’t pass many eyeball tests, not that the old man who has lived there since 1972 has any intention to sell it. If you want it, you’re

simply going to have to wait for John Wooden to die.Sadly—and beautifully—you wouldn’t be the only

one. Wooden, perhaps the greatest American coach in any sport, never thought he’d live to the age of 98. And he never thought living without his beloved wife, Nell, whom he lost in 1985, would be so hard for so long. Of all the love in his heart—for the three generations of family who surround him and the dozens of former players who keep him as close as ever—most of it still belongs to her. All he wants is to see his Nellie again.

Meanwhile, Wooden’s loved ones want for him. Tony Spino, the UCLA trainer who has looked after him for years, sleeps at the condo five nights a week.

Jim Wooden, 72, the coach’s only son, sleeps there on Thursdays and Fridays. Wooden’s granddaughter Caryn Bernstein, 48, shows up at 7 a.m. almost daily. Caryn’s 74-year-old mother, Nan Wooden, who is Wooden’s only daughter, is a regular factor in an equation of constant companionship and care.

They wish he would sell the place—packed with decades-old furniture, books, photographs, and other mementos—and move somewhere nicer.

“We try to tell him, ‘Daddy, Mother would not like this,’ ” Nan says.

But he won’t. John Wooden will be here until the end—a happy man

at peace with dying, whenever that moment comes. He spent a morning with Sporting News’ Steve

Greenberg at the place lovingly referred to by UCLA great Bill Walton as The Wooden Mansion on Margate.

Thirty-three years after retiring as UCLA’s basketball coach and two months past his 98th birthday, he still has the power to teach and inspire

John Wooden Sporting News Conversation:

I’m not afraid of death

I’m not going to intentionallyhurry it up, but I’m

not afraid.

Photos by Jay Drowns / SN

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SN: You’ve certainly not been abandoned in your old age.WOODEN: There’s always someone here. They don’t want me to be alone

because of the falls that I’ve taken. I think it’s ridiculous, but I know why they don’t think it’s so ridiculous. My worst one, I fell and broke my arm, my collarbone and a wrist, and I lay on the floor from 9 o’clock in the evening until 7 o’clock in the morning until Tony got here. I can’t get up when I fall down. I like to think maybe I could get along by myself if I tried it, but I guess I’d better not.

But I have a wonderful family. I’ve been blessed so much. So much.

SN: There is much love in this house, isn’t there?WOODEN: Yes, there is. My late wife, the only girl I ever dated, the only girl I

ever went with, picked it out to be closer to our daughter. Every picture on the wall, every room, my late wife picked out. And now they want me to sell it. But I wouldn’t leave here, because it’s her. And that means a lot to me.

SN: Many things here are just so: the books, the photographs. And also many things that belonged to Nell—even the little things, like her lipstick. Are you holding on to her still?

WOODEN: Yes. All the things that she used, like her makeup. And her side of the bed. Her gown is stretched out on her side of the bed since I lost her. And once the sheets are changed, then we put everything back the same way. So I wouldn’t want to leave here.

SN: Your family speaks with emotion about the letters you write to Nell every month, a simple act that is profoundly touching and romantic. How does it make you feel when you write to her?

WOODEN: It makes me feel closer to her. It brings back many feelings ... (long pause) ... that we had between us. It makes me feel better.

SN: Will your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren read them someday? Or are they just for you and Nell?

WOODEN: They are between us.

SN: You had that frightful fall in February, and there have been others. Are you in much pain?

WOODEN: No, I’m not. The worst pain I have is in my knees. (Doctors) won’t do anything about it. Both of them have to be replaced, but I’m too old. Those other things healed very well, all except the wrist. But otherwise, no pain.

SN: All that night and through the early morning after you fell, what were you thinking as you lay on the floor? Were you afraid for your life?

WOODEN: No, I never thought about that at all. I knew in the night I couldn’t get up. I was cold. In that time, I was between laughing and crying, but that was all. I was just going into the bathroom before going to bed, and going in I got my walker stuck on the rug and I fell over. I tried to catch myself, but I couldn’t. For a few minutes, I was kind of in shock. I had pain from the breaks. I was awake the whole time. More than anything else, I got cold. I couldn’t crawl and get to a blanket or anything. I just had to stay there.

SN: Would you ever leave this home for anything?WOODEN: No. My children would like for me to. I’d like for my daughter to sell

her home and live with me. She’s been alone for a few years. She’s a breast cancer survivor, she has artificial knees, artificial hips, an artificial shoulder, and she’s going to have to have the other shoulder replaced.

SN: Do you worry for her?WOODEN: Yes, of course I do.

SN: She’s still your little girl?WOODEN: Yes, she is. (Pausing to control his emotions.) I would like for her to

live with me, but it would be a chore for her. She wants me to live with her.

SN: We should talk about happier things. What do you love about basketball these days?

WOODEN: Well, more than anything else today, it’s the fact that at the place where I have breakfast almost every morning, one of my ex-players will show up. Mike Warren, Keith (Jamaal) Wilkes; Bill Walton drives up from San Diego, and that’s nice. I love my memories about the time that I taught these players. I think about it. And I like the game now, but I don’t like the game as much. I have never cared for the showmanship, and I think there is too much showmanship in the game today. While I think the players today are just unbelievable—their athleticism—I don’t think team play is as good as it used to be.

SN: What’s it like for you to watch UCLA play?WOODEN: The interest that I have had over the years is still there. When I retired, I

was so concerned about the players who had played for me that I really couldn’t enjoy the game as much. But when they were all gone, then I could enjoy it a little bit more. UCLA is doing well. I’m impressed with the coach that we have now (Ben Howland). The last three years, he’s been in the Final Four, and not many have done that. He’s an extremely impressive defensive coach.

SN: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is 61 years old. Is that difficult for you to comprehend?

WOODEN: It’s a little difficult to realize. But going further than that, you may or may

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actually avoid me, for 25 years. And the whole thing was because he didn’t get to play much; he thought I didn’t like him. But I had a lot of respect for him. After he graduated, he produced Touched By An Angel, Walker, Texas Ranger, Caroline in the City and some others, and finally, he said he thought this on the golf course: “Well, I’ve been successful, and Coach Wooden taught me things that have served me very well.” So he called me and said he’d like to see me. Now I’m probably as close with Andy as I am with any of my players. He’s a regular for breakfast. He is very special to me. Forgiveness sets you free.

SN: Eighty-one years ago, you won a high school state championship as a player in Indiana. Do you still remember that team, and that championship game, well?

WOODEN: The year before that, we had lost to the championship team. The center of that team—it was Marion High School—was Charles “Stretch” Murphy. He was 6-6, and there was no question he was easily the best player. We both went to Purdue. He was a

senior when I was a sophomore, but we got to play together and that was a great thrill for me. The next year, we won the championship against Muncie High School. They were always strong. I remember that game very well.

SN: You were a Navy lieutenant during World War II. How did that experience help to shape your life?

WOODEN: Well, that’s difficult to say. I was blessed in many ways. I was at North Carolina—I’m a 90-day wonder; they make you a gentleman, an officer, in 90 days—and then I was sent to Iowa Pre-flight, and I was there for about a year. I had orders to support the USS Franklin, and on my way to report to the Franklin in the South Pacific, I got very sick; I was in a lot of pain in my stomach. They checked me and my appendix had burst, so my orders were canceled. And the fella who took my place on the Franklin was a fraternity brother and a friend of mine. He was killed by a kamikaze. If I hadn’t gotten sick, I probably would have been in the same place that he was.

not know that I’ve been a speaker for the McDonald’s High School All American Game. Three years ago, it was held in South Bend, (Ind.), where I taught (at Central High School) for nine years. I thought I shouldn’t go, but they wanted me to come very much, and finally I went. They were very nice; they sent their private plane, and I could take my family. They had a luncheon, and they tried to get as many athletes as they could who had played for me at that high school. Twenty-six players. The oldest of them was 88. And I think the youngest was probably 80. That was wonderful. Also, I’d had several of their wives in English class. It was fun. That’s one of the really enjoyable times that I’ve had, and I almost didn’t do it.

SN: So many of your players love you dearly. How wonderful does that make you feel?

WOODEN: You may have heard the story of Andy Hill. He played for me and won two national championships for me, but he didn’t get to play a lot. He didn’t like me. And after he graduated, a very bright youngster, he didn’t speak to me; he would

I like the game now, but I don’t like the game as much.

I have never cared for the showmanship, and I think there

is too much showmanship in the game today.

John Wooden and his wife, Nell, got the news he would take over as UCLA’s coach 60 years ago last spring. Wooden married Nell in 1932, the same year he led Purdue to a national championship as a player.

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44 | SEE A DIFFERENT GAME 01/05/2009

SN: A lifetime later, in 2003, President Bush awarded you the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Where does that rank among your countless honors and achievements?

WOODEN: Maybe No. 2. When I graduated from Purdue, I received the Big Ten academic medal for graduating with a high grade-point average. That’s the one thing I earned. A lot of the other things, the championships, they were earned by teams. If you don’t have outstanding players, you can’t do it, I don’t care who you are. You have to be honest with yourself. I could name so many people who truly deserved the Medal of Freedom far more than I did.

SN: Your home has photographs of Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa. Are they heroes of yours?

WOODEN: Abraham Lincoln is my favorite American, and I have many, many books and pictures of him. And the person who has lived in my lifetime for whom I have the most admiration and respect is Mother Teresa, and I have a lot of pictures and books of her, too. I just missed seeing her. I had received the Medal the year after she did, and she was going to come back and be the presenter to me, but she wasn’t able to make it. I would have loved to meet her.

SN: What about Lincoln moves you?WOODEN: I’ve been called by some a common

man. Lincoln was a common man. He had love for everybody. He had as much sympathy for the Southerners who had lost their lives as for the Northerners who had lost their lives. And his Gettysburg address is one of the greatest things ever written. And I think his second inaugural address—“With malice toward none, with charity for all”—was really something. At the end of the terrible war, when they were discussing reparations to the South, the Secretary of State, who was critical of Mr. Lincoln, said, “You’re supposed to destroy your enemies, not make friends of them.” And his answer was, “Am I not destroying the enemy when I make a friend of him?” That’s a statement.

SN: Did you ever believe you would live to see the election of America’s first black president?

WOODEN: No, I never thought I’d live this long under any circumstances.

SN: If you could give advice to Barack Obama, what would it be?

WOODEN: Be like Lincoln.

SN: And what if you could give advice to a young basketball coach who is struggling to make his mark?

WOODEN: Well, I think one of the most important things of all is patience. You have to be patient. Good things take time. Don’t expect

I think one of the most important things of all (in coaching) is patience. You have to be patient.

Good things take time. Don’t expect too much too soon. And then try not to make things too complicated. Basketball is not a complicated

game, it’s a simple game. Get the players in good condition, and teach them how to keep balance—

floor balance, physical balance, mental balance, moral balance. Very simple things.

Wooden’s home is packed with reminders of his friends,

family and the historical figures he admires most.

Favorite book: “The Bible, of course.” Favorite film: “Goodbye, Mr. Chips—the original

(1939). I sure like that one a lot.” Favorite song:

“‘Glow Worm’ by theMills Brothers.”

Favorite city: “Abraham Lincoln said, ‘The favorite place is where you are.’ I try to think that way. But I suppose my favorite city

may be Martinsville, Ind., where I went to high school.”

Favorite vacation: “New Zealand. I spent three

months in New Zealand with Nellie. The people, the country—it’s common. And that’s what I like.”

Favorite meal: “It’s something Nellie made, and my daughter makes it now—and I know most people wouldn’t understand it—but sauerkraut and wieners. But only with mashed potatoes and fruit salad.”

Favorite restaurant: “My No. 1 place here in Los Angeles is the Chicken House at Knott’s Berry Farm. Oh, the cherry rhubarb. Mmm-mmm.” — Steve Greenberg

with Nellie. The people, the c ountry—it’s c ommon. And

it now—and I know most people wouldn’t understand it—but sauerkraut and wieners.

The Wizard of Westwood’s best-of list

John Wooden

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too much too soon. And then try not to make things too complicated. Basketball is not a complicated game, it’s a simple game. Get the players in good condition, and teach them how to keep balance—floor balance, physical balance, mental balance, moral balance. Very simple things.

SN: Speaking of young coaches, Joe Paterno is only 83. Do you marvel at his longevity?

WOODEN: Yes, very definitely. We both gave commencement addresses at our alma maters. He had done it before me, and I talked to him about it. He sent me a copy of his address, which I got good thoughts from.

SN: Is there a part of you that wishes you hadn’t retired, rather abruptly, after winning the national championship in 1975, or wonders what would have happened had you coached longer?

WOODEN: No. I don’t know why, but it was the right time. It came upon me extremely suddenly, I’d say 10 seconds before I decided to do it. Ten seconds before, I thought it would be two or three more years. Suddenly, it just came upon me as I was going into the media room, and for the first time ever—I won’t say I enjoyed it, but I didn’t mind it—but this time I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want the same questions asked over and over; I just didn’t want to do it. And just to myself, I said, “If you feel like this, it’s time to get out.”

Instead of going into the media room, I went into the dressing room, got my boys, who were getting into the shower, and called them all together. I told them how proud I was of them that particular (semifinal) game against Louisville, which I thought was one of the great games I ever saw two teams play. And I said, “I don’t know how we’ll do Monday night against Kentucky. I think we’ll do all right because I know we’re quicker, and you know how I feel about quickness, and I think we have enough size to contend against their unusual size. But regardless of how the game comes out on Monday night, I want you to know that I’ve never had a team of whom I’ve been more proud. You never gave me any trouble, any one of you, on or off the floor, all year long, and that’s a pretty nice thing to be able to say about the last team you’ll ever teach.” And then there was dead silence.

Nobody knew. I’ve heard other people say they knew I was going to retire. I don’t know how they knew it. My wife didn’t even know. I didn’t even know.

SN: If you could relive any one day of your life, feel those feelings again, which would it be?

WOODEN: The day I married Nellie. That’s the greatest day. She said, “I do.”

SN: What was that day like?WOODEN: We were married on a Sunday. On Saturday, I went to the bank—I had

saved up, played a little pro basketball; I had $900 and a nickel—but the bank was closed. We were going to have difficulty getting married on Sunday. I got a call from a fellow by the name of Snyder; Nellie’s closest friend was his daughter. He asked me to come see him, and I did. He said, “What are you and Nellie gonna do?” I said, “Well, I don’t know, Mr. Snyder, but something will work out.” He said, “Pay me back whenever you can, but you and Nellie go ahead,” and he gave me $200.

Wooden retired in 1975 after winning his 10th national championship at UCLA (right). He has followed the

Bruins closely in the years since, taking particular enjoyment from

the team’s three straight trips to the Final Four under current coach

Howland (bottom).

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So the next day, my brother and his girlfriend, who had a car, drove us to Indianapolis, and we were married by a pastor that had married Nellie’s older brother and older sister. My brother and his girlfriend stood up, along with the minister’s wife, and after we married we went to eat at the Bamboo Inn on the Circle in Indianapolis. And from there we went to the theater where the Mills Brothers made their very first appearance in Indianapolis. They’ve always been my favorites.

SN: Why have you lived this good, long life?WOODEN: That’s very hard to say. I honestly feel that one of the reasons could

be that I’ve practiced moderation in almost everything. I never used alcohol in any way. Does that have anything to do with it? I don’t know. George Burns had a lot of it every day, and he lived to be over 100. I smoked a little bit when I was in the Navy, but that’s all. Did that have anything to do with it? I don’t know. But I do know this: I am very much at peace with myself. I’m not afraid of death. I’m at peace. Certainly as I get older, it’s hard to … (long pause)

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I’m ready. I wish it would happen now. But I’m not going to try to hurry it. I’m not afraid of death. I’m not going to intentionally hurry it up, but I’m not afraid. I’ve been so blessed in my life. I’m thankful for so many things. My children, my 13 great-grandchildren, all live within an hour or less, and I see them all regularly. How many times does that happen? Within an hour or two, I can see the ocean, I can be in the mountains, I can be in the desert, I can be at Disneyland, I can be at an athletic event. There are so many things. I have been so blessed. And out yonder, I’ll be with Nellie again.

SN: She’s waiting for you?WOODEN: Oh, yes, I believe so. Sven Nader has written me maybe 100 poems.

A few years ago, he wrote me one poem just from hearing me say that one word, yonder. It says: “Once I was afraid of dying, terrified of ever-lying, petrified of leaving family, home and friends. Thoughts of absence from my dear ones, brought a melancholy tear once, and a dreadful fear of when life ends. But those days are long behind me, fear of leaving does not bind me, and departure does not hold a single care. Peace does comfort as I ponder, a reunion in the yonder, with my dearest one who is waiting for me there.”

SN: “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t test me so much.” Do you know whose words they are?

WOODEN: They are Mother Teresa’s.

SN: How often do you speak or think them?WOODEN: Almost daily. Do you see those words over there (pointing to a daily

calendar of sayings on his dining room table)? “I pray thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within.” On the last day before Nellie went to the hospital and passed away, that’s what she turned to. I never changed it. (Long pause.) She was beautiful within. And this is important.

Wooden is an admirer of Mother Teresa’s wisdom and reflects on her words almost daily.

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What did John Wooden mean to me in 1968? I had guidance from someone who had supreme knowledge of the game. There wasn’t any aspect of the game that he didn’t understand in-depth, and he was a great teacher. He allowed us to try it our way and fail, and then showed us how to do it correctly.

And in 2008? Forty years later, it’s amazing because you understand that what he really taught us was how to be good citizens. He used basketball as a metaphor for life. He wanted us to get our degrees and go on and do good things with our lives. We got an understanding of what that was all about from him by what he said and through the example that he put forth.

The one thing he said that sticks with me the most was that we might not achieve our goals, but if we gave our best effort, we would be satisfied with whatever the result was. That stayed with me and helped me to prepare and give my best effort, and my best efforts in so many areas have been rewarded. He made that possible.

You don’t know [ John Wooden ]like I know [ John Wooden ]

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By Hall of Fame center

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played for Wooden from 1965-69

Why did I go across the country to play for him at UCLA? There was a really intense effort to get me to go to so many colleges. What was different about Coach Wooden was it was clear I wasn’t going to be an acquisition for him. It was going to be a good fit for both of us. His demeanor and the way he spoke to me, as well as what he thought he could do in terms of coaching me to enhance my game and my career, really made a lot of sense to me.

The best thing about him that has nothing to do with basketball is his pool game. He’s a shark. He can do trick shots. Well, could. Geez, the last time I saw him play was in college. We were playing an away game, and there was a pool table in the area where we had our team meal. Lucius Allen and Mike Warren considered themselves pretty good pool players, and they started shooting a few. Coach Wooden came over and wanted to play. He ran the table twice in a row, and our mouths just fell open. He was really good.

Yes, I still put on my socks and shoes the Wooden way. The socks-and-shoes analogy really, in my mind, relates to preparation. You can’t go out there and do the things you have to do to train hard if you’re not prepared physically. And not having your socks and shoes on correctly means you’re going to get blisters.

Why has he lived such a long, amazing life? Part of it has to do with destiny; I really think that’s the case with anybody who has achieved so much personally. He was a scholar and a great professional basketball player, and he went on to be a great coach. To be able to teach the game so well to so many people and win so many NCAA championships is a testimony to his knowledge and his ability to communicate with young men. That was his mission—to help young men do good things with their lives.

He also has a very good baseball mind. I don’t know if you know this, but he was offered the opportunity to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates (in the 1960s). He declined because he was committed to his job at UCLA. But he’s a serious baseball guy. We’ve had many good discussions about all-time teams.

Abdul-Jabbar (with Wooden and Sidney Wicks) won three national

championships at UCLA.

Abdul-Jabbar says the lessons he learned from Wooden have stayed with him for decades.

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