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Eric
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 The UCLA Dynasty |
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I watched The UCLA Dynasty on HBO March 26th and it was very educational. Here are my notes.
10 ncaa championships in 12 years including 7 consecutive titles and an 88 game winning streak.
John Wooden was told by his Purdue teammate that basketball was different in California than Indiana. The gym was shared with the gymnastics team. The gym wouldn't even be suitable for a game at Indiana high school. Don't whine, don't make excuses were the codes of conduct for Wooden. Wooden quickly turned UCLA into a legit team.
Gale Goodrich from Sun Valley and Walt Hazzard changed things entering the 1964 season. At 6'5", Slaughter was the tallest player on UCLA. The zone pressing defense was put in to compensate for the lack of size. A lot of the offense came out of the defense. There was tons of passing and running. Opponents were held to just 70 points per game during an undefeated season. UCLA was up against a much larger Duke team for the national championship. Coach Wooden asked the team who remembered who finished 2nd the previous year and no one answered.
Duke's size was no match for UCLA's quickness. Kenny Washington was the unlikely hero.
Wooden said he felt good after winning the NC. He said the next morning was Easter Sunday and bird droppings hit his head. The Bruins won their 2nd consecutive title the next year over the Wolverines 91 to 80. Bill Walton said that was when he decided to play for UCLA.
Lucious Allen talked about the Watts riots. He said they didn't do those things in Kansas. Less than 5 months after the Bruins repeated as champs the Watts section of Los Angeles went through race riots. Opposition to the Vietnam War was developing around college campuses. Pauley Pavilion was set to open and the Bruins were chosen by Alcindor. John Valley talked about the things Alcindor experienced because of his height. The annual freshman versus varsity game was held at the newly opened Pauley Pavilion. Alcindor and his freshman foes destroyed the varsity team.
John Wooden said he did something he was ashamed of. He let Alcindor score 56 points to scare other teams. Alcindor would catch jump shots and control them, not just swat them. Don Chaney from the University of Houston talked about their demeanor.
In 1967 UCLA's young lineup went undefeated. The NCAA outlawed the dunk because of Alcindor. People began to ask if UCLA was unbeatable.
January 20th 1968 was the day of the big game. #1 UCLA versus #2 Houston at the Astro Dome was where things played out. Alcindor had been in the eye clinic the week before. Elvin Hayes from Houston was unstoppable that night. The game proved that college basketball could provide national attention. 2 months later UCLA got revenge and won its 4th title in 5 years.
Martin Luther King was assassinated and old America began to meet new America. Jude Joe Brown talked about militancy. The Black Panthers began to exert control. John Huggins and Bungie Carter of the Black Panthers were murdered at Campbell Hall. Lew Alcindor rejected an invitation to try out for the 1968 Olympic Games. The players remained united on the court. UCLA's 5th championship was the 3rd of the Alcindor era.
Andy Hill talked about the frustrations with UCLA winning year after year. People thought things would change without Alcindor. Henry Bibby talked about the UCLA uniform and the fact that winning was what they were supposed to do. The 1970 team had good balance with Bibby. Sidney Wicks was talented but he was vocal with Wooden and he was testy. Wicks became the best college forward in the country his last 2 years according to Wooden. Artist Gilmore of Jacksonville was a problem for UCLA. UCLA's Steve Patterson was 6'9" on a tall day. Wooden let Sidney Wicks guard Gilmore and Wicks shut him down for the last 30 minutes of the game.
In the 1971 championship game Patterson scored 29 to give UCLA its 5th straight title. Manzarek of the Doors talked about life at UCLA. The movement blossomed at UCLA. It was a hotbed of energy. Penelope Spheeres talked about smoking pot right on the campus and daring people to stop them. She said "it was our responsibility to change the world because the world needed to be changed."
Kent State was the last straw for many people. Andy Hill said it was impossible to go to school in the 1960s and 1970s and not be influenced by the tremendous upheaval. Not everyone against the war was a hippy.
We the undersigned express our approval of the war. It was sent to Nixon from the UCLA team.
Jamaal Wilkes and Mark Harmon talked about Bill Walton.
Bill Walton was taught to be involved. Walton would argue about everything, politics, dress code, everything. Bill Walton got arrested at a peace rally and Wooden had to bail him out of jail.
Bill Walton joined the crowd in a large march. Charles Young talked about the administration building being barricaded. Bill said "f*#@ you Chuck" when he was arrested. Walton later apologized. Wooden got in Walton's face and asked him what he was doing. Walton got back in Wooden's face saying he won't continue to let his friends die in Southeast Asia.
In the off season players could do whatever they wanted. Walton toured with the Grateful Dead. Once they represented the university the players had to keep their hair under 2 inches. Walton said Wooden didn't have the right to tell him about his hair. Wooden said that was true but that he did have the right to decide who would play.
There is no substitute for work.
You must have patience.
You must have faith.
Never mistake activity for achievement.
Wooden's pyramid for success was developed when he was a teacher in 1934.
The blocks weren't the only thing square about the pyramid for the players. Beau Bridges walked on to the freshman team at UCLA. In one practice Wooden said they would start by learning how to lace their shoes. Pete Trgovich talked about how they were told how to put their socks on.
Gail Goodrich said the same thing happened every year. Everybody's shirt had to be tucked in. Players referred to him as the 3x5 man because of the cards. Walton had an interesting technique to get attention. Goodness gracious sakes alive is a mid-western cuss out of the highest order. That was Wooden's profanity.
There was a way to do everything. Kenny Heitz talked about the undisciplined mess that was practices of other teams. Wooden never used the terms winning or losing. Wooden may not have stressed winning but it was all his teams did. Walton did things that a 6'11" man was not supposed to do. Walton had a spirit about him that was fun to watch. He reveled in the outlet pass. Walton's superior play and joy for the game rubbed off. The '72 Bruins raised the 8th banner. The Walton gang turned basketball into theatre.
John Sandbrook talked about how UCLA basketball was an escape from everything else going on in the world. Jamaal Wilkes brought up the point that people could agree on basketball regardless of what they disagreed on outside hoops. The ratings on the delayed games beat out Johnny Carson. They had a pool to see how many times Dick Emberg would say oh my.
In the 1973 championship game versus Memphis State Walton made 21 of 22 shots. Incredibly it was the Bruins 7th consecutive title and the 9th in 10 years. At 88 games the players wanted to get to 100 consecutive wins. Digger Phelps had his Notre Dame team practice cutting down nets. After leading Notre Dame by 11 points with 3 and a half minutes to play UCLA was defeated. The team also collapsed in the 1974 tournament. Walton talked about losing to Oregon and Oregon State within 18 hours of each other. Walton looks back at his college career in frustration since they gave away 4 games out of their last 10.
Sam Gilbert was brought up. Larry Farmer said Gilbert was a big part of the fan. Wooden said he was worried about the over zealous fan. Lucius Allen said Sam Gilbert explained that what he did was within the rules. Gilbert denied accusations and eventually UCLA was put on probation. People blame Wooden and others for not shielding the players from Sam Gilbert.
The summer of 1974 witnessed Bill Walton's graduation and Richard Nixon's resignation. Marques Johnson said he was eager to get to UCLA. He felt like a rebel without a cause. Dave Meyers was a good season leader. John Wooden wasn't sure what he had to work with. The final scores were closer than in previous years but the Bruins made it to the Final Four of 1975. Wooden told the team he had never been prouder of a team before the championship game. He said the game against Kentucky would be his last win or lose. The players decided there was no way they would let him go out without a championship. The players seemed to be running on air in that game.
Marques Johnson talked about 10 being a perfect number. Time transformed youth into wisdom. UCLA won 3 championships with Alcindor and 2 more with Walton.
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Check out my video for the 9th chip trick contest: http://www.21ace.com/video-pictures/albums/userpics/10002/Eric-9th-Chip-Contest.wmv |
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| Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:03 pm |
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