Quotes from John Wooden

Sports do not build character. They reveal it.

Ability is a poor man's wealth.

What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player.

Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.

Respect a man, and he will do all the more.

Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

You can lose when you outscore somebody in a game. And you can win when you're outscored.

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

Don't mistake activity with achievement.

There's as much crookedness as you want to find. There was something Abraham Lincoln said - he'd rather trust and be disappointed than distrust and be miserable all the time. Maybe I trusted too much.

Don't give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.

There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.

Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who'll argue with you.

Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.

Friendship is two-sided. It isn't a friend just because someone's doing something nice for you. That's a nice person. There's friendship when you do for each other. It's like marriage - it's two-sided.

I'm not going to say I was opposed to the Vietnam War. I'm going to say I'm opposed to war. But I'm also opposed to protests that deny other people their rights.

I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.

I like to spend time in the past, with the things that have been important to me.

I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn't try to run their lives.

I found golf was too time consuming, but I did enjoy it.

My eyesight is not nearly as good. My hearing is probably going away. My memory is slipping too. But I'm still around.

I was built up from my dad more than anyone else.