Chris Carlson / AP

John Wooden guided UCLA to 10 national championships but did much more for his players, NBCSports.com Michael Ventre writes.

But no man is perfect. Even if he did ignore Gilbert, it was likely because he was devoted to guiding his players. The good intentions of a good man and the bountiful results they bring often trump any missteps along the way.

Besides, other coaches had outstanding players and didn’t come close to achieving Wooden’s heights. Said the Wizard himself:

“You get a good run of players, a dominant player like (Lew) Alcindor, and people say you’re supposed to win three championships and we did. But Ohio State was supposed to win three with Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek and that bunch, and it won only one. Kansas was supposed to win three with Wilt Chamberlain and one year they didn’t even win their conference championship. … For the most part, we’ve done what we’re supposed to do. There’s no way you can have consistent success without players. No one can win without material. But not everyone can win with material.”

Whenever you talk to any of his ex-players — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Jamaal (then Keith) Wilkes, and the list goes on and on — they gush about him like he was a favorite uncle. He not only had a profound influence on his students then, but it continues today. The lessons learned were good for a lifetime, not just a four-year stint in college.

His coaching record speaks for itself. But his impact didn’t end upon his retirement. If ever a humble, practical and unpretentious man could attain the status of royalty, it was Wooden. The UCLA faithful and basketball fans alike treated him like a precious natural resource, hanging on his every word, written or spoken. As a reservoir of wisdom, he was vast and never-ending.

He still is, and always will be.

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