John Wooden is probably the happiest man in heaven right now. He is finally reunited with his wife Nellie, 25 years after her death. The legendary UCLA basketball coach, known as the “Wizard of Westwood,” passed away last night at the age of 99.

I was in the audience two years ago this month for a talk given by Wooden and another legend, Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully. The event was a fundraiser put on by L.A. Times columnist T.J. Simers, with proceeds going to the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA.

There were many memorable moments that night, but the one that stood out for me was when Wooden told the story of how he wrote a love letter to Nellie on the 21st of every month to mark the day she died. People in the audience wept.

At one point a video was shown of Bill Walton, who played for Wooden at UCLA. Walton told the story of how on his first day on the team, Coach Wooden gave him a lesson on how to put on his socks, and lace up and put on his shoes. I interpreted that lesson to mean that success begins with the fundamentals. Just then, a 12 year old cancer survivor named Robert came onto the stage, and the 97 year old Wooden helped teach him how to do the same thing. It was an inspiring moment, and I’m so glad I was there to witness it.

Wooden chose basketball because he wanted to be around young impressionable students. But his leadership qualities would have made him a success as a CEO or a politician.

Wooden meant so much to UCLA and to Los Angeles. He stood for greatness. His famous “Pyramid for Success” was designed to show students that it was about achieving your potential, and not about being rich and famous. The Pyramid is still studied and followed today, in major corporations and in the US military. I keep one of his books on my shelf and read it occasionally for inspiration.

A friend of mine was at Friday night’s Dodger game and told me of an unprecedented event- Vin Scully came on the Dodgervision screen between innings to announce Wooden’s death. Vinnie quoted Shakespeare in his brief eulogy, but not many could hear his words; they were drowned out a large ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd. And that was the ultimate tribute. The people cheering were born long after Wooden retired from UCLA. But they knew what he stood for.

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