John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood, dies at 99

A 2009 Sports Illustrated interview with John Wooden, by Seth Davis:

Though his mental and physical faculties have slipped considerably, Wooden is still in incredible shape for a man his age. He also hasn't lost his trademark wit and sunny disposition. "My eyesight is not nearly as good. My hearing is probably going away. My memory is slipping too. But I'm still around." He is due to turn 99 on Oct. 14. "Hope to make it," he said pleasantly. "But if I don't, I've had a long run."

Death is a constant topic of conversation for Wooden, but he does not discuss it with the same maudlin air he carried for so long after he lost his beloved wife, Nell, in 1985. When I half-jokingly suggested that the city of Los Angeles hold a parade for him when he turns 100, Wooden simply shrugged and laughed. [His son] Jim interjected by saying, "In either case, we'll celebrate it with or without you? Is that what you're saying?"

"You'll celebrate the death," Wooden cracked.

"Well," Jim said, "the good thing about that is you'll be with who? Your Nellie." Wooden nodded.

Simply put, John Wooden is perhaps the most legendary basketball coach of all time. During his 27-year span as the head man at UCLA, Wooden won 10 national titles, including seven in a row, and led the Bruins to an 88-game winning streak -- the longest in basketball history. His success on the court has yet to equaled and almost certainly never will. But by far the most defining part of Wooden's legacy is his stressing of teamwork, unselfishness, camaraderie and character -- the attributes that have made his death a deafening blow in the sports world, even though he hasn't coached a game in 35 years.

In an age where shocking, out-of-nowhere celebrity deaths are commonplace (Michael Jackson, Billie Mays, Brittany Murphy just to name a few), Wooden's death doesn't quite fit with the ethos. Wooden had been struggling with health for many years, and at 99, his passing was hardly unexpected. But perhaps that's what makes his death special; unlike many L.A. celebrities, he went out on his own terms at the right time. Sadness is appropriate, but for Wooden, his passing should be more a celebration than a tragedy -- and you certainly can't say that about most people's deaths, and not even in the sports world. The last sports person to die, Jose Lima, went at just 37.

Asked what his secret to long life was in 2008, Wooden responded: "Not being afraid of death and having peace within yourself. All of life is peaks and valleys. Don't let the peaks get too high and the valleys get too low."

In March 1985, Wooden's wife of 53 years, Nellie, passed away. From then until the rest of his life, Wooden sent a love letter to Nellie on the 21st of every month. He never dated again and would only sleep on his side of the bed. In 2000, Wooden told Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated: "I'm not afraid to die. Death is my only chance to be with her again."

Further Reading:

A six page, must-read obit of John Wooden [L.A. Times]

John Wooden, the greatest coach of the 20th century, died last night [NJ.com]

Our top ten favorite John Wooden quotes [CS Monitor]