Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

Zero National Championships

If UCLA had never won a national championship while I was coaching there, I would still have considered myself very successful because I was judging myself on other things, things I had some control over. For example, how hard am I trying to produce the very best team we can possibly be?

Had we not won any championships, I would have been disappointed, yes, but still a success in my own eyes. I would have had peace of mind because of the effort I put forth.

The ten national titles provided no additional peace of mind nor sense of validation of my efforts as a coach. That I already had. I had succeeded long before I was called a success.