He was an old-school coach. He did all kinds of things that his players considered unusual, and he had all kinds of policies that his players thought were odd. But he won. Why? Because coach Wooden taught the basics, building a solid foundation for an unprecedented string of victories.

The game for Wooden was always about fundamentals. And many of America's finest high school players would go on to play college ball under renowned coach John Wooden at UCLA. It was from Wooden that players like Lou Alcindor, who later became the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, would learn the basics of the game.

At every season-opening practice, Wooden would gather the players that he had recruited from America's best high school basketball teams and instruct them — on how to put their socks on. Imagine what these young men must have been thinking! "What, I've come to UCLA to learn how to put my socks on. This is the coach of the best basketball program in the country?" And Wooden would make very clear to them that, yes, learning to put their socks on was precisely what he was going to teach them before they bounced a ball and did a drill.

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Speaking rhetorically, Wooden would ask, "You know why you gotta put your socks on in the right way? Because if you don't put your socks on properly there will be wrinkles in your socks, and wrinkles cause blisters, and you can't play with blisters."

And so Wooden would teach his players step-by-step how to put their socks on, first the right foot and then the left foot. Physically grown men training to put on their socks, one foot at a time! That's teaching the basics! By emphasizing the fundamentals, Wooden built a foundation to last the season and, for many of these youthful stars, throughout their professional careers into their personal lives.

He showed how much he cared for them by teaching them old-school discipline. He cared nothing for the unnecessary and the frivolous. For Wooden, showboating by dribbling behind your back or between your legs to show up your opponent was not a part of the game.

Among the other things that Wooden demanded of his players was that they have short hair and be clean shaven. Why? Because long hair would stay wet longer after a shower, heightening their chances of catching a cold and preventing them from playing. During an era when long hair and beards were the "in-thing," especially in trend-setting California, this particular policy drove some of his players crazy.

The story goes that after a summer break future NBA great Bill Walton returned to UCLA sporting a lengthy beard and long hair. John Wooden took one look and said, "Bill, you're gonna have to cut that." Walton, in turn, responded, "No. You have no right to tell me that. I have a right to wear my hair like this."

Wooden paused before responding and then asked Walton, "Do you believe that Bill? Do you believe it very strongly Bill?" And Walton stated, "I absolutely do!" "Well," said Wooden, "I like men that believe in things very strongly, that will stand up for what they believe and stay with it." Then Wooden added, "It's been nice having you on our team Bill. We're going to miss you."