Issue 748 - "The Bus Ride that Broke Barriers"


Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 13	Issue 748
Craig Impelman Speaking \| Championship Coaches \| Champion's Leadership Library Login
"THE BUS RIDE THAT BROKE BARRIERS" John Wooden Video Clip (90 sec.): Coach Wooden is asked: "How did you handle players who deliberately broke the rules?" In his amazing book, Coach Wooden and Me, Kareem Abdul Jabbar shared this story (it is paraphrased). The Bus Ride On December 6th of 1968, UCLA had just defeated thirteenth-ranked Ohio State in Columbus and was traveling by bus to South Bend to face fifth-ranked Notre Dame. It was a long, cold Midwestern night, the kind where most players would be resting, staring out the window, or quietly passing the time. Kareem said: "There were several different religions represented on our team that year: five or six Christians, several of them evangelicals; two Jews; and me, the only Muslim." Breaking The Barriers On that bus ride, Lew Alcindor—later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—began talking about religion with teammate Steve Patterson, a born-again Christian who had even started a church-based student group on campus. Patterson spoke with conviction. He believed deeply in his faith and wasn’t shy about sharing it. At one point, he made a statement that drew a clear line. "The only way for a man to reach Heaven was through Christ." Kareem immediately challenged him. "What about all those people in Africa who never heard of Jesus? Are they all going to hell?" Patterson said they were. The conversation grew intense. Two highly competitive individuals, each confident in his beliefs, each feeling he had the inside lane to truth. The Shift But something unexpected happened. Instead of escalating into a shouting match, the conversation slowed down. The tone changed. The objective shifted. They stopped trying to be right and started trying to understand. The heat of the debate gave way to curiosity. Questions replaced arguments. Listening replaced defending. Other players began to notice. They moved closer, drawn not by conflict, but by the quality of the conversation. Soon, nearly the entire team had gathered in the middle of the bus, leaning over seats, listening, asking questions, and joining in. They talked about God, about the meaning of life, about their own doubts, their own journeys, and the values they shared despite their differences. What started as a debate became a dialogue. The Ultimate Moment Then came the moment that could have rebuilt every barrier instantly. Kareem made a personal announcement. He had converted to Islam. There was a silence on the bus, the kind that feels like everything pauses at once. It could have gone in any direction. Instead of rejection, there was curiosity. Instead of tension, there was openness. Instead of isolation, there was respect. Teammates asked questions. They wanted to understand what had led him to that decision and what it meant. "What’s the difference between Black Muslim and, uh, regular Muslim?" "Why did Muslims kill Malcolm X if he was also a Muslim?" "Who the heck is Malcolm X?" Bill Sweek asked. "You ever read a newspaper, Bill?" Kenny Heitz said. Laughter. "Only to make sure they spell my name right," Bill replied. More laughter. Coach Wooden, hearing that we were laughing instead of shouting, came back and joined us—but only to ask the occasional question, not to moderate or direct the conversation. I glanced at him a few times to gauge his reaction to my announcement, but all I saw was a wide smile of joy—not at me, but at the team. His boys weren’t just basketball players; they were becoming the mature, respectful gentlemen he wanted us to be. For him, that mattered more than any championship." Final Thought Barriers and Silos don’t break down because people talk more. They break down because people listen better. They break down when individuals feel safe enough to speak and respected enough to be heard. Click here for personal development exercise: Issue 748. Click here for Printable Poetry: Issue 748. Yours in Coaching, Craig Impelman www.woodenswisdom.com Follow @woodenswisdom	COACH'S FAVORITE POETRY AND PROSE How the Camel Got His Hump Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo, If we haven’t enough to do-oo-oo, We get the hump— Cameelious hump— The hump that is black and blue! We climb out of bed with a frouzly head And a snarly-yarly voice. We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl At our bath and our boots and our toys; And there ought to be a corner for me (And I know there is one for you) When we get the hump— Cameelious hump— The hump that is black and blue! The cure for this ill is not to sit still, Or frowst with a book by the fire; But to take a large hoe and a shovel also, And dig till you gently perspire. And then you will find that the sun and the wind And the Djinn of the Garden too, Have lifted the hump— The horrible hump— The hump that is black and blue! I get it as well as you-oo-oo— If I haven’t enough to do-oo-oo— We all get hump— Cameelious hump— Kiddies and grown-ups too! Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)
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