John Wooden will forever be associated with the UCLA program for what he did while coaching there.
10 national titles in 12 years, including seven in a row. Not bad, right?
What some people may forget is that before he got into coaching, Wooden was one of the best basketball players in the world. He played his collegiate ball at Purdue, where he was a three-time all-american and the 1932 National Player of the Year.
To honor Wooden’s legacy as one of the greatest Boilermakers ever, Purdue built a statue of Wooden and unveiled it in front of Mackey Arena this weekend:
Check out the new statue outside Mackey Arena of the 1932 National Player of the Year! #BoilerUp https://t.co/0Ouk3UBUam
— Purdue Men's Basketball 🚂🏀 (@BoilerBall) September 24, 2016
“Not many people think of Johnny Wooden as a Boilermaker, but when I got here in 1957, some of the old-timers still remembered him as a player,” Jim Hicks, the alumnus that donated the statue, said. “I’m so delighted that people will see this statue and read his Pyramid of Success because I think the pyramid was his most important contribution.”
One of the neat touches of the statue: Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is right there for all to see.
Wooden Statue by #Purdue's Mackey Arena to be dedicated tomorrow.
— Purdue Athletics (@PurdueSports) September 23, 2016
🚂⬆️ #BoilerUp
🔗 https://t.co/4wIWJ524ek pic.twitter.com/x3BMEXf2ar
