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

Character

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Character is what you really are. Reputation is what people say you are. Reputation is often based on character—but not always.

Character is how you react to things—sensibly, without getting carried away by yourself or your circumstances. A person of character is trustworthy and honest, and for a dollar he or she will give you a dollar.

The other kind of person looks for the easy way out.

I like to think the players I coached, however they came to UCLA, left as men of character. But in truth, if they didn’t have it when they came, I couldn’t give it to them. By then it was too late. That’s a job for a mother and father.