Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court

Written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Narrated by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Former NBA star and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores his 50-year friendship with Coach John Wooden, one of the most enduring and meaningful relationships in sports history.

When future NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an 18-year-old high school basketball prospect from New York City named Lew Alcindor, he accepted a scholarship from UCLA largely on the strength of Coach John Wooden's reputation as a winner. It turned out to be the right choice, as Alcindor and his teammates won an unprecedented three NCAA championship titles. But it also marked the beginning of one of the most extraordinary and enduring friendships in the history of sports. In Coach Wooden and Me, Abdul-Jabbar reveals the inspirational story of how his bond with John Wooden evolved from a history-making coach-player mentorship into a deep and genuine friendship that transcended sports, shaped the course of both men's lives, and lasted for half a century.

Coach Wooden and Me is a stirring tribute to the subtle but profound influence that Wooden had on Kareem as a player, and then as a person, as they began to share their cultural, religious, and family values while facing some of life's biggest obstacles. From his first day of practice, when the players were taught the importance of putting on their athletic socks properly; to gradually absorbing the sublime wisdom of Coach Wooden's now famous "Pyramid of Success"; to learning to cope with the ugly racism that confronted black athletes during the turbulent Civil Rights era as well as losing loved ones, Abdul-Jabbar fondly recalls how Coach Wooden's fatherly guidance not only paved the way for his unmatched professional success but also made possible a lifetime of personal fulfillment.

Full of intimate, never-before-published details and delivered with the warmth and erudition of a grateful student who has learned his lessons well, Coach Wooden and Me is at once a celebration of the unique philosophical outlook of college basketball's most storied coach and a moving testament to the all-conquering power of friendship.

Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller
President Barack Obama's Favorite Book of 2017
A Boston Globe and Huffington Post Best Book of 2017 Pick

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: May 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781478914761

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is recognized by Sports Illustrated and Time magazine as history’s greatest basketball player (he is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer). The author of several New York Times bestsellers, Kareem’s previous books include Giant Steps, Kareem, Black Profiles in Courage, A Season on the Reservation, and Brothers in Arms. Since his retirement as a player in the NBA, Kareem has worked as a special assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and acted as a volunteer coach for children on the White Mountain Apache reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona. 

Reviews for Coach Wooden and Me

[jntjesussaves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Writing: 4.5; Theme: 5.0; Content: 4.5; Language: 5.0; Overall: 5.0

This was a wonderful biography/memoir of the fifty-year plus relationship between arguably the greatest coach of all-time and one of the greatest basketball players of all-time. Kareem shares so many wonderful moments between him and his coach- John Wooden. They had their differences, but through it all they mutually respected one another. As Coach Wooden, I didn't agree with Kareem on certain issues, but he was fair and he shared the principles that shaped him, respectfully. Kareem and Coach Wooden were both very highly-principled men. It was well written and was quite touching. Highly recommend to sports fans and biography readers. Great!

***May 2, 2023***

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A heartfelt and moving tribute to the legendary Coach Wooden. Kareem Abdul-Jabar minces no words and puts his heart and soul in these pages. He talks of their ups and downs; Coach Wooden's encouragement, advice, and friendship. Not just for basketball fans, this book highlights how to not only take good advice, but to truly live it. Inspiring and heartfelt this book moved me to wipe my eyes more than a few times. Not only do you learn about Kareem's life, but you learn about Coach Wooden's, most importantly though the reader learns hows their lives intersected repeatedly until a solid friendship had been formed between a 7 hoot tall New York black man and a white hick Midwesterner. A Beautiful read.

[carolee888 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What attracted me to this book was that I had always admired Coach John Wooden for his attention to being a good person above all else. Also I saw the President Obama give the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and wanted to learn more about him too. I was not disappointed. This is a true gem of a book. The key word is friendship, one that lasted 50 years.

I am from Indiana, the home of Hoosier Hysteria so basketball has always been my favorite team sport. I was surprised to learn about the Coach's early connections to Indiana. One thing that made him very different from other coaches is that winning was not the ultimate goal, preparation was. This is the same thing that I realized in college and grad school. Do everything possible to prepare, do your best and that is your reward. This meant that he was not like some coaches, to bust up a coke machine because of a lost game. I have seen great coaches and some not so great and he definitely was a great coach.

Also I feel very happy that Kareem opened up about his childhood and what it was like being teased for being so tall and also for being so open about the racial slurs that he has experienced. It was a difficult subject but the two tackled more and more as their friendship grew.

I love this book for its frankness, its gentleness and the mutual respect that that the two had for each other. I highly recommend it for all who want to learn about friendship, life and being the best that you can be.

I received this Advance Reading Copy by making a selection from Amazon Vine books but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review. I also posted this review only on sites meant for reading not for selling