Photos: John Wooden | 1910-2010

John and Nell Wooden are greeted at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 1973 by one of the coach’s former UCLA players, Mike Connors, who at the time starred in the TV detective series “Mannix.�
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Jim Nielsen, a reserve on the UCLA powerhouse teams of 1967 and ‘68, found inspiration in the example of Coach Wooden and later became principal of Channel Islands High School in Oxnard. This photo was taken in the 1970s.
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The retired coach catches the action in December 1994 during the inaugural John R. Wooden Classic, a college basketball doubleheader played at the Anaheim arena then known as the Pond.
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Wooden, a longtime resident of the San Fernando Valley, was honored at a ‘Valley of the Stars’ gala at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank in 1998.
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Long after he retired, Wooden continued to offer his services to the UCLA basketball program. Here he confers with guard Earl Watson after the Bruins defeated Oklahoma State in the Wooden Classic in 1998.
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John Wooden congratulates Cincinnati’s Kenyon Martin after Martin was presented with the 24th John R. Wooden Award in Los Angeles in 2000. The award annually recognizes the top collegiate basketball player.
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In an interview with The Times, Wooden recalled: ‘My father would always tell me: ‘Don’t look back, don’t whine, don’t complain.’ �
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President George W. Bush congratulates Wooden after presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the East Room of the White House. The medal is the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. government.
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Students in Pauley Pavilion -- most of whom were not even born when Wooden coached his last game -- show their appreciation for the coach on the day the basketball floor was dedicated as Nell and John Wooden Court.
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Wooden waves to the crowd during the ceremony honoring the Bruins’ 1964 championship at Pauley Pavilion.
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar assists Wooden off the court at Pauley Pavilion after a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Bruins’ first NCAA tournament championship.
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Among Wooden’s maxims: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail�; “Flexibility is the key to stability�; “Be quick, but don’t hurry.�
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John Wooden holds court at a ceremony to rename Aliso High School in Reseda as John R. Wooden High School. Wooden is sitting in front of a mural that outlines his Pyramid of Success motivational program.
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Wooden, two days before turning 95, prepares to blow out the candles on his birthday cake at Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center.
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A referee once said of Wooden: “He never swore, but there was not a coach in the United States who could use the English language any better than he could. He was always technically and grammatically correct when he was chewing you out.�
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Wooden, at his Encino home, reads from an assembled book of poems sent to him by one of his former players, Swen Nater.
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The inaugural class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Mo., had five honorees: Wooden, James Naismith, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith and Bill Russell.
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The retired coach wins a round of applause from UCLA players after their 65-62 win over Texas A&M in the Wooden Classic in 2006.
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Wooden takes questions from Special Olympics Southern California athletes at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
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Wooden with a group of Special Olympics athletes in 2006.
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Wooden joins Bill Walton for the banquet at the McDonald’s All-American High School Basketball Game in Louisville, Ky.
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Wooden congratulates Russell Westbrook after the Bruins defeated Davidson in the John Wooden Classic at the Honda Center in Anaheim. “We get behind, but we don’t give up,� he told the crowd. “I’m very proud of them.�
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Wooden and Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully made a joint appearance for charity, conversing on stage at the Nokia Theatre about sports and life. The event also was televised.
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John Wooden waves from the stands as he is introduced at ceremonies honoring the 1970 UCLA championship team.
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