John Wooden's Critical Note

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John Wooden, the respected basketball coach at UCLA, expresses a critical view of sport in the United States.

Letter to a fan, by John Wooden (1910 - 2010), about his vision of basketball. One page, in English. 21.1 cm x 27.6 cm. Los Angeles, California, undated. Excellent condition. Single piece.

In this letter, John Wooden explains his main concerns for basketball: the sport is becoming increasingly physical, violent, spectacular and dependent on television, losing some of its essence.

Dear Mr. Eagle,

As far as my impressions of the amazing sport of Basketball go, I worry about a few things.

1. They are allowing the game to become too physical, which robs it of its beauty and elegance. 2. I deplore insults. 3. In my opinion, there is a lot of exhibitionism that ended up hurting team play. 4. Not blowing the whistle – walking, carrying the ball, etc. 5. As a result of television, a lot of time is lost outside of school. It is possible to watch a game at any time of the day or any day of the week. Players, coaches and referees often become actors. Many games are played.

However, TV revenue has (?) been the savior of many profitable new sports, including women's sports in most schools and demand has been increasing.

John Wooden, UCLA (retired)

Extract from a text by volleyball coach Bernardinho about John Wooden

John Wooden is known as the coach who led the UCLA basketball team to 88 consecutive victories and 10 national championships, seven of them in a row.

In Wooden's words, we see the man who prioritized character, common sense and righteousness, dedicated himself to work, family and the fundamentals of basketball and became a reference in sport and in life, (...) a man who chose to have integrity in all aspects of life.

My first contact with John Wooden took place during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, when we won the silver medal. In those games, the Brazilian delegation stayed on the campus of UCLA (University of California). One day I was at the university bookstore and came across a book by Coach Wooden. From then on, I became a follower of Wooden and a great admirer of his ideas.

Always considered important and valuable, some of the American basketball legend's opinions are exposed, by John Wooden himself, in this unique document. This letter is an exceptional document about basketball and sport in general.