Lessons with a sports legend

Watson awed by UCLA’s Wooden

Earl Watson met John Wooden the first day he stepped on UCLA’s campus. He walked into the basketball office to see the coaching staff and there was Wooden, 85 at the time, the legendary coach with 10 national titles.

“I was in awe of his presence,” Watson says. “It’s hard to describe. His presence was inviting, but at the same time powerful. Sometimes people with a powerful presence, it’s kind of overwhelming, but with him it was different. He had this charm about him that made you feel comfortable.”

From that point on, whenever the legendary coach talked or signed books on campus, Watson made sure to attend. The Suns coach would listen, absorbing every word, and then approach Wooden when it was over, just to say hi or give the retired coach a hug.

Not much later, Wooden gave Watson his home telephone number.

“And that’s when I started seeking him out,” Watson says. “I’d call him up and ask if I could come over. We’d choose a date and I’d get a ride to his house – I didn’t have a car at the time – and then we’d spend time in the den of his condo.”

The Suns are out of playoff contention. Their fans are focused on the NBA draft, but there still is much to learn about the team, especially their secondyear coach. During Phoenix’s recent sixgame trip, azcentral sports had a chance to talk extensively with Watson. The first conversation in Miami focused on how he dealt with management’s decision to shut down key players.

The second in Brooklyn focused on Watson's relationship with Wooden.

“We’d talk about life, love – the love he had for