Political Quotes

“It is with a heavy heart that I rise to honor the remarkable life and tremendous contributions of John Wooden, who passed away in Los Angeles last Friday. I want to begin by expressing my condolences on his passing to his family and the countless people whose lives he touched. John Wooden coached at UCLA when I was there earning my undergraduate and law school degrees. I was in my last year of law school when the Bruins had their first perfect season under Coach Wooden, a season that culminated in a championship win over Duke. Everybody on campus was thrilled. No one could have possibly imagined that this was only the beginning of a historic run that will probably never be matched. John Wooden would go on to coach the Bruins to an unprecedented 10 NCAA championships, including an incredible seven in a row, and a record four perfect seasons, which includes an 88-game win strike, from 1971 to 1974. The full list of records broken and accolades earned is far too long to cover here. His accomplishments have made his name synonymous with 'success,' and it is unlikely that anyone will ever be able to match the accomplishments that he has achieved. Incredibly, his coaching success was never the most remarkable thing about him. What was the most remarkable was how he inspired people and motivated them to excel, on the court and off.”