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

Individual Honors

From an individual standpoint, I am very proud of the medal I received when I graduated from Purdue University as an athlete with an excellent grade point average. That I did, not the team. Me.

I am proud of that and it is one of the reasons I have always stressed education to young people, particularly those who came under my supervision as coach. I know the importance of getting an education. I know that its benefits last a lifetime.

I am also very proud of the fact that I received the Bellamine Medal because no one in the sports world had ever been given it before. And more so because Mother Teresa, a woman for whom I have the greatest respect in the world, had also been a recipient of that medal. For me to receive that same ...