UCLA's 1964 NCAA TITLE WINNING TEAM - It was the first for the university and their coach John Wooden. Wooden was most proud of this team because he felt they were too small to win. They proved him wrong - (ENLARGED Photo)

Walt Hazzard was a driving force in leading the UCLA Bruins to an NCAA title in 1964 and earned the MOP Award for the tournament

When UCLA coach John Wooden spoke… the team listened

Sharp Shooting Gail Goodrich was on both 1964 & 1965 NCAA title winning teams. He went on to have an NBA Hall of Fame career

ON THIS DAY: April 12, 1958 Bob Pettit poured in 50 points as the St. Louis Hawks, who missed the championship by a whisker a year earlier, beat the Boston Celtics 110-109 in Game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals to dethrone the Celtics as NBA champions - (The Sporting News Archives - photo) NBA's NEW SISSY BALL ERA

Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson and Boston Celtics Larry Bird in Game two of the 1985 NBA Finals at Boston Garden Date 30 May 1985 - Steve Lipofsky www.Basketballphoto.com ALL TIME NBA 1st TEAM - BREAKING IT DOWN

Bill Russell is seen here in the green uniform guarding Wilt Chamberlain. They had some of the NBA's most classic battles. Russell sadly passed away Sunday at the age of 88 - (US Library of Congress image) ALL TIME NBA 1st TEAM - BREAKING IT DOWN

SPORTS NOTES - THE VISION of JOHN WOODEN

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

Now that the NCAA basketball tournament is in progress it stimulates my memory of a great man of dignity and class. What stands out is how enthusiastic Wooden was in describing that 1964 team. Wooden didn't think that the team could win the title for two reasons... - THIS DAY IN THE NBA - NBA's ALL TIME BEST PLAYERS 1st and 2nd TEAMS

Thursday April 4, 2024

INSIGHT in MIND

Without question interviewing former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden is the greatest experience I've ever had. He was a man that I admired as a fan of the game. But more so it was the way he handled himself by being so courteous during the time I spent at his residence.

Now that the NCAA basketball tournament is in progress it stimulates my memory of a great man of dignity and class.

What was to follow was my talking to his former players of his first title winning team Walt Hazzard and Keith Erickson. What stands out is how enthusiastic Wooden was in describing that 1964 team.

Wooden didn't think that the team could win the title for two reasons. To begin with he felt they were too small with no player over 6'5". No team had at that time ever won the title being so small. The other reason was the team didn't have their own court to practice on they had to share a court with the gymnastics team.

The squad played their home game at three different arenas, The Los Angeles Sports Arena as well as the Santa Monica and Long Beach State college courts.

Despite the inconvenience as being a team without a home they went undefeated with a 26-0 record through the regular season. They won their four games in the tournament defeating # 1 Duke Michigan 96-83 to win the title. That victory topped off a perfect 30-0 season.

Hazzard was named the tournament's most outstanding player (MOP) Award. He received All-American honors for the second consecutive season, and was named the nation's Player of the Year by the Helms Athletic Foundation/USBWA. He also finished the season with 1,401 points making him the UCLA's all-time leading scorer at that time.

Hazzard went on to have a solid 11 year NBA career after being signed by the LA Lakers were he spent three seasons. His best season being after the Lakers traded him to the Seattle Sonics.

In his first season with the team in 1967-68 he averaged a career best 24 ppg.

After he retired he took up coaching. Twenty years after winning the national championship as a player he returned to UCLA as their coach in 1984.

All but two of that team returned for the second consecutive title in 1965, Gail Goodrich and Keith Erickson. The team was the first to play in the newly built Pauley Pavilion. They finished the season with two losses but more importantly they won a repeat NCAA title in 1965.

At 6'5 Erickson was the tallest player on the 64 squad. He went on the have an NBA career. Both he and Goodrich would later play for the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.

Goodrich was only 6'1" but shot the lights out of the basket. He was a true shooter. If the 3 point line was in play during his career he would have had many more points than what he had when his career came to close in 1979.

Of the three, Goodrich had the most stellar career. He was on the Lakers 1972 title winning team. He is a 5 time NBA All-Star (1969, 1972-1975). He is a member of the Basketball Hall of fame.

All of this NCAA title success came together after Wooden saw the light. The coach admitted that prior to winning his first title he came to realize that he previously was too hard on his players. When he eased up and changed his ways the teams NCAA title success followed.

But there was one thing that he held on too and that was adhering to the rules. If you don't obey you don't play.

Erickson was asked by a fan what funny moments he could recall about Wooden.

What is the funniest Coach Wooden story you have from your days at UCLA?

Ross Perkins

San Diego, CA

Dear Ross, Probably when confronted by a young, high-spirited Bill Walton, who was standing in front of, towering over and questioning the authority of Coach Wooden to tell him that the rule for the team was to have sideburns no lower than the ear. Coach said that he appreciated those that stood up for their opinions, but that he made the rules and that he was going to miss Bill that season because he sure could have helped them out, and that if he wanted to play that year he had six minutes to be on the floor with his sideburns cut... and then all they could see was the backside of Bill as he went running up to the training room to get his sideburns cut to be back in those six minutes!

When I informed Erickson that Wooden said he was the greatest athlete he ever coached, he was surprised or even shocked.

His off the cuff comment after that was Wooden repeatedly instructing the players to tie their shows properly.

The same reply came from Hazzard when I saw him in the team locker rooms and media area of a Clippers game.

His reply came after I loosened him up by telling him that our Temple University Prep School basketball team beat his Overbrook High squad. He recalled it well and laughed then said, "But that was only a scrimmage game!" You can say what you want to about today's world affairs but I am a firm believer that there are two things that bring people together and that is… SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT.

On a strange note Wooden was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960, before he coached an NCAA title team. He played professional basketball after graduating from Purdue University. His playing career included being a Helms Foundation All-America (Purdue, 1930-32); Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1932); National championship (Purdue, 1932); All-NBL First Team (1938).

Next: The 1965 title

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