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Kingdom on Fire: Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty
In the tradition of Blood in the Garden and Three-Ring Circus comes a bold narrative history of the iconic UCLA Bruins championship teams led by legendary coach John Wooden—an incredible true story about the messy, never-easy pursuit of perfection set against the turmoil of American culture in the 1960s and 70s.
Few basketball dynasties have reigned supreme like the UCLA Bruins did over college basketball from 1965–1975 (seven consecutive titles, three perfect records, an eighty-eight-game winning streak that remains unmatched). At the center of this legendary franchise were the now-iconic players Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton, naturally reserved personalities who became outspoken giants when it came to race and the Vietnam War. These generational talents were led by John Wooden, a conservative counterweight to his star players whose leadership skills would transcend the game after his retirement. But before the three of them became history, they would have to make it—together.
Los Angeles native and longtime sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times , Scott Howard Cooper draws on more than a hundred interviews and extensive access to many of the principal figures, including Wooden’s family to deliver a rich narrative that reveals the turmoil at the heart of this storied college basketball program. Making the eye-opening connections between UCLA and the Nixon administration, Ronald Reagan, Muhammad Ali, and others, Kingdom on Fire puts the UCLA basketball team’s political involvement and influence in full relief for the first time. The story of UCLA basketball is an incredible slice of American history that reveals what it truly takes to achieve and sustain greatness while standing up for what you believe in.
Few basketball dynasties have reigned supreme like the UCLA Bruins did over college basketball from 1965–1975 (seven consecutive titles, three perfect records, an eighty-eight-game winning streak that remains unmatched). At the center of this legendary franchise were the now-iconic players Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton, naturally reserved personalities who became outspoken giants when it came to race and the Vietnam War. These generational talents were led by John Wooden, a conservative counterweight to his star players whose leadership skills would transcend the game after his retirement. But before the three of them became history, they would have to make it—together.
Los Angeles native and longtime sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times , Scott Howard Cooper draws on more than a hundred interviews and extensive access to many of the principal figures, including Wooden’s family to deliver a rich narrative that reveals the turmoil at the heart of this storied college basketball program. Making the eye-opening connections between UCLA and the Nixon administration, Ronald Reagan, Muhammad Ali, and others, Kingdom on Fire puts the UCLA basketball team’s political involvement and influence in full relief for the first time. The story of UCLA basketball is an incredible slice of American history that reveals what it truly takes to achieve and sustain greatness while standing up for what you believe in.
368 pages, Paperback
Published February 25, 2025
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December 29, 2024
This is the first time in nineteen years that Chanukah coincided with schools’ Christmas vacation. What it means for me personally is that my son and I off from work/school at the same time, which rarely happens. It has been joy for me having him home, indulging on conversations, favorite family meals, and sports. Since he got home there has been football, soccer, or hockey on tv everyday and we still have a few days before he goes back to his program. One sport notably absent is basketball. When I was just his age I stopped watching most basketball. The generation of kids who grew up wanting to play like Mike did not necessarily hone their games. Defense became a thing of the past and players in general did not play as impassioned as the Bulls championship teams of my adolescence. My son and I had a long conversation about this the other morning- as this first generation after his Royal Airness came of age and gave the game over to the players we see now, the NBA has deteriorated to the product we now see on the court. Those of us who enjoyed the Bulls beating the Knicks 88-84 on a regular basis cannot bear to watch most of the current iteration of the NBA. This fall for the first time in a while I found myself pining for basketball and have actually read more basketball than football books during this baseball offseason. One coach who would surely not approve of today’s version of basketball is the Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden. I decided to wrap up my reading year with a fun remembrance of UCLA’s glory years during some watershed moments in American history.
John Wooden was not suited for the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles, the city of stars. A midwestern farm boy, he came of age when ball was played below the rim, and the two handed set shot and stall tactics ruled the day. Once he transitioned from player to coach, he taught fundamentals and life lessons to generations of ball players. Although his dream jobs were Indiana and Purdue, after a stop at the school that is now Indiana State, Wooden caught the attention of the fledgling program at the University of California, Los Angeles. John and his wife Nell moved cross country to the Westwood section of Los Angeles and never left, becoming pillars of a university in a state that developed into a powerhouse after World War II. By the time he coached his last game in 1975, Wooden would become the most revered name in college basketball. His day came later in his career, after the invention of television and games attracting big name high school stars from coast to coast. The best athletes played three or more sports and did not specialize. Even when stars came to Westwood, much like those across the country in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, they played for Wooden as a team. His attention to fundamentals and life lessons made him more fit to be a minister than a basketball coach. He was tough on his players, who appreciated the life coaching for decades after leaving school. By the late 1960s, Wooden’s style of coaching and teaching would come to a head with the powder keg of the civil rights and hippie movements emerging in society.
The first star to play for Wooden was Gail Goodrich who later went on to enjoy a long NBA career. Goodrich’s teams in the mid 1960s won Wooden’s first two championships and cemented UCLA as a top basketball destination. Before the NCAA tournament became what it is today, teams played against teams from their region only until they reached the final four. The west was not a basketball hotbed like it is today, and UCLA had a cakewalk through also rans until they reached the final rounds. While this was not a factor in his recruiting, New York’s Lew Alcindor wanted to go as far from his parents as possible. Although Michigan would have been an ideal school, UCLA was as far from his parents as he could get, so UCLA it was. At the time freshmen did not play for varsity, and Alcindor, who had learned to loathe the white man in New York, felt removed from the average college student. He forged friendships with teammates, an unlikely one with Lakers star Jerry West, and looked up to Muhammed Ali, which lead to his own conversion to Islam. Wooden supposedly had no idea that Alcindor along with guard Lucius Allen were that unhappy. His bottom line was winning, and once Alcindor became eligible, all his teams did was win. Being removed from this generation, I only remember Kareem Abdul Jabbar as an aging Lakers’ star then broadcaster. My dad, who was at Michigan during Alcindor’s reign, notes that his teams were too good. Michigan was no slouch, wirh future NBA player Cazzie Russell. Had Alcindor and Allen transferred to Ann Arbor, it would have been a different color blue and yellow winning championships. Like Wooden, Alcindor was good on his word and remained at UCLA even if he did not enjoy his time there despite the championships. That was both on Wooden and the environment surrounding the school. In a few years, once Alcindor was established in the NBA, Westwood would become even more diametrically opposed to Wooden’s ideals.
The other star author Scott Howard-Cooper focuses on is Bill Walton. I never liked Walton as a player or broadcaster, but I think that is the jealousy he had of Bulls’ championship teams, and it rubbed me the wrong way. Walton wanted to play for UCLA from the time he was in sixth grade. He saw them on tv and occasionally took in games at Pauley Pavillion. In hindsight, rhe emerging hippie Walton should have considered Berkeley or Stanford which were more of student communities and much more in tune to his anti war political ideals. Walton could not stand Wooden’s sock and shoe or hair length rules. He had no desire to practice basketball offseason, choosing instead to surf and ride his bike. Yet, Walton’s teams were among the best that Wooden had. With the Pac-8 and west having little competition, Wooden scheduled games against top opponents such as Houston, North Carolina State, and Notre Dame. Walton’s class was superior to all of these teams and at one point won eighty eight games in a row. By their senior year, Walton and friends were burnt out and wanted to be done with Wooden and his rules. The coach did not see it, a man of his convictions to the end. Long before mental health became a focus in society, coaches coached. They did not act as father figures to their players off the court. As such, Walton’s team crashed and burned, perhaps leading Wooden to early retirement. Of course, family dinners were more important to Wooden than coaching or recruiting. Once Walton left, Wooden most likely, encouraged by Nell, would have retired soon anyway.
Today UCLA’s basketball court is the Wooden Center. Once the coach retired, he became a sought after speaker on fundamentals and wrote still popular books on the subject. Both Kareem and Walton became stars in the NBA and mended relationships with their college coach later in life. The 1960s were a difficult time to be a youth, and those born in the 1910s could not relate. I have noticed this in other books I have read this year as well. One Los Angeles icon who Wooden should have forged a lifelong friendship with was Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully. They were men of a similar age who both were better suited for the clergy than their chosen professions. Whether the two crossed paths, neither this book or Scully’s biography that I read earlier this year mentions it. I am certain that Wooden would not be pleased with the current iteration. He liked to run but not to a tune of 140 points a game. He stressed defense and fundamentals, team play and no dunking. The current star of the league agrees to a certain extent and says that his long time rivalry with another aging star is still the best part of the NBA. Over the holiday, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 115-113. That is the equivalent of the 88-84 Bulls-Knicks games that I grew up watching. I think the Wizard of Westwood would approve, and I have hope that the game is trending in the right direction. The glory days of UCLA basketball have been a fun way to wrap up my reading year. Now on to the next one.
4 stars
John Wooden was not suited for the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles, the city of stars. A midwestern farm boy, he came of age when ball was played below the rim, and the two handed set shot and stall tactics ruled the day. Once he transitioned from player to coach, he taught fundamentals and life lessons to generations of ball players. Although his dream jobs were Indiana and Purdue, after a stop at the school that is now Indiana State, Wooden caught the attention of the fledgling program at the University of California, Los Angeles. John and his wife Nell moved cross country to the Westwood section of Los Angeles and never left, becoming pillars of a university in a state that developed into a powerhouse after World War II. By the time he coached his last game in 1975, Wooden would become the most revered name in college basketball. His day came later in his career, after the invention of television and games attracting big name high school stars from coast to coast. The best athletes played three or more sports and did not specialize. Even when stars came to Westwood, much like those across the country in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, they played for Wooden as a team. His attention to fundamentals and life lessons made him more fit to be a minister than a basketball coach. He was tough on his players, who appreciated the life coaching for decades after leaving school. By the late 1960s, Wooden’s style of coaching and teaching would come to a head with the powder keg of the civil rights and hippie movements emerging in society.
The first star to play for Wooden was Gail Goodrich who later went on to enjoy a long NBA career. Goodrich’s teams in the mid 1960s won Wooden’s first two championships and cemented UCLA as a top basketball destination. Before the NCAA tournament became what it is today, teams played against teams from their region only until they reached the final four. The west was not a basketball hotbed like it is today, and UCLA had a cakewalk through also rans until they reached the final rounds. While this was not a factor in his recruiting, New York’s Lew Alcindor wanted to go as far from his parents as possible. Although Michigan would have been an ideal school, UCLA was as far from his parents as he could get, so UCLA it was. At the time freshmen did not play for varsity, and Alcindor, who had learned to loathe the white man in New York, felt removed from the average college student. He forged friendships with teammates, an unlikely one with Lakers star Jerry West, and looked up to Muhammed Ali, which lead to his own conversion to Islam. Wooden supposedly had no idea that Alcindor along with guard Lucius Allen were that unhappy. His bottom line was winning, and once Alcindor became eligible, all his teams did was win. Being removed from this generation, I only remember Kareem Abdul Jabbar as an aging Lakers’ star then broadcaster. My dad, who was at Michigan during Alcindor’s reign, notes that his teams were too good. Michigan was no slouch, wirh future NBA player Cazzie Russell. Had Alcindor and Allen transferred to Ann Arbor, it would have been a different color blue and yellow winning championships. Like Wooden, Alcindor was good on his word and remained at UCLA even if he did not enjoy his time there despite the championships. That was both on Wooden and the environment surrounding the school. In a few years, once Alcindor was established in the NBA, Westwood would become even more diametrically opposed to Wooden’s ideals.
The other star author Scott Howard-Cooper focuses on is Bill Walton. I never liked Walton as a player or broadcaster, but I think that is the jealousy he had of Bulls’ championship teams, and it rubbed me the wrong way. Walton wanted to play for UCLA from the time he was in sixth grade. He saw them on tv and occasionally took in games at Pauley Pavillion. In hindsight, rhe emerging hippie Walton should have considered Berkeley or Stanford which were more of student communities and much more in tune to his anti war political ideals. Walton could not stand Wooden’s sock and shoe or hair length rules. He had no desire to practice basketball offseason, choosing instead to surf and ride his bike. Yet, Walton’s teams were among the best that Wooden had. With the Pac-8 and west having little competition, Wooden scheduled games against top opponents such as Houston, North Carolina State, and Notre Dame. Walton’s class was superior to all of these teams and at one point won eighty eight games in a row. By their senior year, Walton and friends were burnt out and wanted to be done with Wooden and his rules. The coach did not see it, a man of his convictions to the end. Long before mental health became a focus in society, coaches coached. They did not act as father figures to their players off the court. As such, Walton’s team crashed and burned, perhaps leading Wooden to early retirement. Of course, family dinners were more important to Wooden than coaching or recruiting. Once Walton left, Wooden most likely, encouraged by Nell, would have retired soon anyway.
Today UCLA’s basketball court is the Wooden Center. Once the coach retired, he became a sought after speaker on fundamentals and wrote still popular books on the subject. Both Kareem and Walton became stars in the NBA and mended relationships with their college coach later in life. The 1960s were a difficult time to be a youth, and those born in the 1910s could not relate. I have noticed this in other books I have read this year as well. One Los Angeles icon who Wooden should have forged a lifelong friendship with was Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully. They were men of a similar age who both were better suited for the clergy than their chosen professions. Whether the two crossed paths, neither this book or Scully’s biography that I read earlier this year mentions it. I am certain that Wooden would not be pleased with the current iteration. He liked to run but not to a tune of 140 points a game. He stressed defense and fundamentals, team play and no dunking. The current star of the league agrees to a certain extent and says that his long time rivalry with another aging star is still the best part of the NBA. Over the holiday, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 115-113. That is the equivalent of the 88-84 Bulls-Knicks games that I grew up watching. I think the Wizard of Westwood would approve, and I have hope that the game is trending in the right direction. The glory days of UCLA basketball have been a fun way to wrap up my reading year. Now on to the next one.
4 stars
April 22, 2024
One of most storied sports dynasties took place in the 1960’s and 1970’s when the UCLA Bruins won 10 of 12 NCAA men’s basketball titles. While there were many players and other people who helped make this dynasty, there were three people who were the biggest names. First it was Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who will be referred to by that name in this review although he was “Alcindor” at UCLA) and the legendary coach John Wooden. Then shortly after Abdul-Jabbar graduated, another “greatest college player ever” came to UCLA – Bill Walton. How these three men made UCLA basketball as great as it was during a time of social upheaval is captured in this book.
While there is some text about the games on the court, especially famous ones like the 1968 “Game of the Century” in the Houston Astrodome and the January 1974 game in which Notre Dame broke UCLA’s 88-game winning streak, most of the work is about the lives, personalities, and beliefs of the three men. This is especially true for Abdul-Jabbar as he was at times conflicted about what he truly wanted from his education and time in Los Angeles. His conversion to Islam and his actions toward civil rights for Black citizens are particularly noteworthy, such as his decision to not participate on the 1968 USA Olympic basketball team.
Here, there is a connection to Walton as he too declined becoming part of USA Olympic basketball in 1972 – this time as a protest over the Vietnam War. Like the civil rights issue in 1968, the war was a hot spot of protest in 1972 and how both players approached their beliefs and actions upon those beliefs made for very good reading. Of course, there is also material on their basketball accomplishments at UCLA. Reading those, while good, is no match for the great material on their off-the-court lives.
As for the coach, how he dealt with these types of personalities was to just be himself. He never let on that he was playing favorites with Abdul-Jabbar, Walton or any other player – he coached the way he always coached, instilled discipline as always and never seemed to move away from what he believed was correct. Whether that meant never cursing no matter how tense the situation, teaching players at the first practice the proper means of tying shoes and pulling up socks or never calling a time out during games to let opponents think the team was in trouble, Coach Wooden was mostly a pillar during this time. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t moments of weakness, and this book shows that side of Wooden as well.
For basketball junkies or historians, this book is a great addition to their libraries. It isn’t the most perfect book on UCLA basketball, but it gives excellent insight to topics one may never have heard previously about one of the most dominant teams in college basketball.
I wish to thank the author and publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
While there is some text about the games on the court, especially famous ones like the 1968 “Game of the Century” in the Houston Astrodome and the January 1974 game in which Notre Dame broke UCLA’s 88-game winning streak, most of the work is about the lives, personalities, and beliefs of the three men. This is especially true for Abdul-Jabbar as he was at times conflicted about what he truly wanted from his education and time in Los Angeles. His conversion to Islam and his actions toward civil rights for Black citizens are particularly noteworthy, such as his decision to not participate on the 1968 USA Olympic basketball team.
Here, there is a connection to Walton as he too declined becoming part of USA Olympic basketball in 1972 – this time as a protest over the Vietnam War. Like the civil rights issue in 1968, the war was a hot spot of protest in 1972 and how both players approached their beliefs and actions upon those beliefs made for very good reading. Of course, there is also material on their basketball accomplishments at UCLA. Reading those, while good, is no match for the great material on their off-the-court lives.
As for the coach, how he dealt with these types of personalities was to just be himself. He never let on that he was playing favorites with Abdul-Jabbar, Walton or any other player – he coached the way he always coached, instilled discipline as always and never seemed to move away from what he believed was correct. Whether that meant never cursing no matter how tense the situation, teaching players at the first practice the proper means of tying shoes and pulling up socks or never calling a time out during games to let opponents think the team was in trouble, Coach Wooden was mostly a pillar during this time. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t moments of weakness, and this book shows that side of Wooden as well.
For basketball junkies or historians, this book is a great addition to their libraries. It isn’t the most perfect book on UCLA basketball, but it gives excellent insight to topics one may never have heard previously about one of the most dominant teams in college basketball.
I wish to thank the author and publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
February 8, 2025
Good book on the Golden Era of UCLA basketball under Coach John Wooden. The book could've been better if the author would've gone into more depth about the lives, study, and politics of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton. We mostly get vague references.
November 21, 2023
I’ve been a “basketball junkie” most of my life in one capacity or another—shooting hoops in the backyard, playing high school basketball and later college and law school intramurals as well as in other adult leagues; coaching various levels of public school basketball; spectating; and reading about the past and present basketball milieu. So, when I was fortunate to read “KINGDOM ON FIRE: Kareem, Wooden and Walton and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty” by Scott Howard-Cooper, I dove right into the text and kept diving deeper as the hours went on. Howard-Cooper, a long-time sports journalist and author of other basketball books, takes us on a deep dive into an incredible period of time---roughly from the time Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar arrived on the UCLA campus as a freshman in the Fall of 1965 up to March 1975 when Coach Wooden coached his last UCLA basketball game. The author attempts to frame this period with Abdul Jabbar on one end and Bill Walton on the other. In between, Howard-Cooper does a remarkable job, not only of describing the basketball history of that era, but he also captures the cultural unrest of the time precipitated by civil rights issues and the war in Vietnam and the impact of those issues on the college basketball scene at UCLA and around the country.
At times almost lost in the recounting of the Jabbar and Walton eras is the fact that John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons between 1964 and 1975. Seven of those titles were in a row (’67 to ’73) and he had led to the Bruins to 4 undefeated seasons—an almost unheard of fete in today’s college culture of “NIL”, the portal transfer and “one-and-done”. Top that off with an 88-game regular season win streak that spanned 197 to 1974.
Howard-Cooper weaves enough “inside baseball” (pardon the metaphor) throughout the story to demonstrate that he has done his homework---Jabbar’s unhappiness at UCLA and consideration of potential transfer schools; Wooden’s inability to enjoy the winning when it was expected by everyone; and Walton’s willingness to subjugate his personal social and cultural habits to the “team requirements” so that he could continue to play for the Bruins.
All in all, a fascinating, enjoyable, and entertaining as well as educational read about an epic era in college basketball.
I only have a couple of minor criticisms of the book. First, Howard-Cooper at times tends to go down rabbit-holes for 8 to 10 pages before coming back to the narrative line he is attempting to establish which is sometimes distracting. Second, the last chapter is a “where are they now/what happened to” section which, while informative and interesting, feels like added baggage for a trip that should have ended without it. It is anti-climatic and perhaps could have been relegated to a “Notes” section in the book. Neither of these shortcomings would prevent me from buying more copies of this book for other friends of mine who are even bigger basketball junkies than me. Well done, Mr. Howard-Cooper!
At times almost lost in the recounting of the Jabbar and Walton eras is the fact that John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons between 1964 and 1975. Seven of those titles were in a row (’67 to ’73) and he had led to the Bruins to 4 undefeated seasons—an almost unheard of fete in today’s college culture of “NIL”, the portal transfer and “one-and-done”. Top that off with an 88-game regular season win streak that spanned 197 to 1974.
Howard-Cooper weaves enough “inside baseball” (pardon the metaphor) throughout the story to demonstrate that he has done his homework---Jabbar’s unhappiness at UCLA and consideration of potential transfer schools; Wooden’s inability to enjoy the winning when it was expected by everyone; and Walton’s willingness to subjugate his personal social and cultural habits to the “team requirements” so that he could continue to play for the Bruins.
All in all, a fascinating, enjoyable, and entertaining as well as educational read about an epic era in college basketball.
I only have a couple of minor criticisms of the book. First, Howard-Cooper at times tends to go down rabbit-holes for 8 to 10 pages before coming back to the narrative line he is attempting to establish which is sometimes distracting. Second, the last chapter is a “where are they now/what happened to” section which, while informative and interesting, feels like added baggage for a trip that should have ended without it. It is anti-climatic and perhaps could have been relegated to a “Notes” section in the book. Neither of these shortcomings would prevent me from buying more copies of this book for other friends of mine who are even bigger basketball junkies than me. Well done, Mr. Howard-Cooper!
April 1, 2024
I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. I gifted this book to my father and he absolutely loved it. Thank you to the author and publisher for an excellent book.
August 17, 2024
If you’re a college hoops and history buff, this is right in your wheelhouse. I learned a lot about all three men and how Wooden shaped two of the most influential athletes of the era.
January 12, 2024
I received a free advance copy of Kingdom on Fire from Atria Books.
For years I've been on the hunt for a book on the UCLA dynasty under John Wooden, trying to find one that dug into the details of the program, particularly when he had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, née Lew Alcindor, and Bill Walton. Having watched "The Luckiest Guy in the World", the Bill Walton documentary on ESPN, I was very curious to see the perspective offered here on Walton's time, as well as Abdul-Jabbar's time, especially considering their differences in personality.
One thing that is immediately apparent is the amount of research Scott Howard-Cooper put into this book. There are lots of interesting tidbits, and there's a great deal of the day-to-day aspects of the program. However, I feel that there's both too much and seemingly not enough research within the book. There will be seemingly random asides of events that don't seem to have any bearing on the events happening within the book, either at the time the events were happening or in the future. Other times, there's a surprising dearth of information on other events, such as Edgar Lacy leaving the team, there's a great deal of time spent, but seemingly not a lot of information on the actual events. Whether this was a lack of people willing to talk about the issues or just a general lack of information, the event felt abrupt and disconnected from the rest of the text due to a lack of context. This is something that happens throughout the book - events will feel disconnected from a lack of information or context, and then we move on. Other times, we get more information than was necessary, without the additional information adding any coloring to the story.
While this is an uncorrected proof and can't be judged too harshly, there does seem to be times that the book could benefit from judicious editing - moving things around, eliminating run-on sentences that confuse and remove you from the narrative (which happen a surprising amount of the time), etc. Outside of that, the writing is solid if occasionally stilted. Nothing exciting, but in a generally good way that keeps you focused on the story. Very clearly the work of a newspaper reporter, and I mean that as a compliment. The writer has removed themself from the story they're telling and we're left with the personalities of the three men at the center of the story - Wooden, Abdul-Jabbar, and Walton.
One of the things I liked, and wished there was more of, was Howard-Cooper connecting the chaos and "turbulent days" of the '60s and '70s with the staid presence of Wooden and UCLA. Abdul-Jabbar and Walton were so involved with the world around them that it was fascinating to watch them fit themselves into the box that Wooden demanded of a UCLA player, while still witnessing how Wooden adapted to the differences in his superstar players.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'd recommend it to fans of UCLA basketball and basketball fans in general. Seeing Wooden in his element as a coach, rather than the gentle, grandfatherly figure he was in the last 30 years of his life was exciting, as was seeing Walton and Abdul-Jabbar up close as boys growing in to men. There were parts of the book that I wished dove deeper, times when I wished that the author was more artful in his language, but in the end, it was a book that I'm glad I read. In many ways, it read the way John Wooden (in the book) preferred his players - prepared, consistent, and not flashy.
For years I've been on the hunt for a book on the UCLA dynasty under John Wooden, trying to find one that dug into the details of the program, particularly when he had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, née Lew Alcindor, and Bill Walton. Having watched "The Luckiest Guy in the World", the Bill Walton documentary on ESPN, I was very curious to see the perspective offered here on Walton's time, as well as Abdul-Jabbar's time, especially considering their differences in personality.
One thing that is immediately apparent is the amount of research Scott Howard-Cooper put into this book. There are lots of interesting tidbits, and there's a great deal of the day-to-day aspects of the program. However, I feel that there's both too much and seemingly not enough research within the book. There will be seemingly random asides of events that don't seem to have any bearing on the events happening within the book, either at the time the events were happening or in the future. Other times, there's a surprising dearth of information on other events, such as Edgar Lacy leaving the team, there's a great deal of time spent, but seemingly not a lot of information on the actual events. Whether this was a lack of people willing to talk about the issues or just a general lack of information, the event felt abrupt and disconnected from the rest of the text due to a lack of context. This is something that happens throughout the book - events will feel disconnected from a lack of information or context, and then we move on. Other times, we get more information than was necessary, without the additional information adding any coloring to the story.
While this is an uncorrected proof and can't be judged too harshly, there does seem to be times that the book could benefit from judicious editing - moving things around, eliminating run-on sentences that confuse and remove you from the narrative (which happen a surprising amount of the time), etc. Outside of that, the writing is solid if occasionally stilted. Nothing exciting, but in a generally good way that keeps you focused on the story. Very clearly the work of a newspaper reporter, and I mean that as a compliment. The writer has removed themself from the story they're telling and we're left with the personalities of the three men at the center of the story - Wooden, Abdul-Jabbar, and Walton.
One of the things I liked, and wished there was more of, was Howard-Cooper connecting the chaos and "turbulent days" of the '60s and '70s with the staid presence of Wooden and UCLA. Abdul-Jabbar and Walton were so involved with the world around them that it was fascinating to watch them fit themselves into the box that Wooden demanded of a UCLA player, while still witnessing how Wooden adapted to the differences in his superstar players.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'd recommend it to fans of UCLA basketball and basketball fans in general. Seeing Wooden in his element as a coach, rather than the gentle, grandfatherly figure he was in the last 30 years of his life was exciting, as was seeing Walton and Abdul-Jabbar up close as boys growing in to men. There were parts of the book that I wished dove deeper, times when I wished that the author was more artful in his language, but in the end, it was a book that I'm glad I read. In many ways, it read the way John Wooden (in the book) preferred his players - prepared, consistent, and not flashy.
January 10, 2025
Interesting and well-written. It would make a great gift for basketball fans.
November 12, 2024
Outstanding writing and full of insights!
September 24, 2024
Excellent book capturing the times and events that shaped those moments in history. In my opinion Kareem and Walton were the two best players in the history of college basketball.
March 14, 2024
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “BE MORE CONCERNED WITH YOUR CHARACTER THAN YOUR REPUTATION… BECAUSE YOUR CHARACTER IS WHAT YOU REALLY ARE… WHILE YOUR REPUTATION IS MERELY WHAT OTHERS THINK YOU ARE!” (John Wooden)
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The UCLA Bruins have won more NCAA Basketball Championships (eleven) than any other division one team in the history of college basketball! The most successful era for any college basketball team… was the twelve year period… 1964-1975… this was when UCLA won TEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS… INCLUDING A RECORD SEVEN-STRAIGHT TITLES… a record that probably will never be broken. As of this writing, it has stood for forty -nine -years already with no one coming within viewing distance! During this time period they also set the all-time RECORD FOR MOST CONTINUOUS VICTORIES…EIGHTY-EIGHT-STRAIGHT-GAMES… A RECORD THAT STILL STANDS ALONE IN HISTORY! During this once in a lifetime domination of victory… UCLA also had THREE UNDEFEATED 30 AND 0 SEASONS!
There were many great… and supportive players during this juncture… but the one constant was the coach John Wooden. Wooden is one of only five individuals who made the basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. Along with Coach Wooden… Hall of famers Lew Alcindor (before he changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and Bill Walton… both… were idiosyncratic… Hall of Famers. The major power of this book… is the detailed analysis of both icons on and off the court… and of course Wooden’s unique makeup… and a no-holds-barred dissection of each of these iconoclast… unique individuals on and off the court … and all these decades later… how they impacted each other’s storied lives. There are many other players and eras of UCLA basketball players scrutinized including the reign of the teams headed by Curtis Rowe… Sidney Wicks… and Henry Bibby… who I played and competed against during my concurrent high school basketball career in the City of Los Angeles…and battling them in the top High School scoring leaders articles… (PROOF IS POSTED ON MY PROFILE PAGE) on weekends… summer… and in Bibby’s case… during my military service during Viet Nam… when I was back in California playing on the military basketball team… I’d come home on weekends and play in pickup games at Pauley Pavilion.
Also discussed… in nowhere the detail of the aforementioned individuals… are the original back-to-back (and first) NCAA UCLA champions… the unique 1964 and 1965 champions… sparked by the great Gail Goodrich… and Walt Hazzard… Keith Erickson… and others… who with their tallest starting player being only 6’5” tall… were a marvel to be held in the eyes and heart… of true basketball aficionados!
The author… Scott Howard-Cooper… does a tremendous job… combining a large quantity of archival material (all deeply documented in a professionally detailed “notes”… and “bibliography” (and index) sections in the back of the book)… along with numerous timely current interviews.
The author is at his best when delving into the complete “sea-change” tidal waves… of first Lew Alcindor… and years later… Bill Walton selecting… UCLA as their basketball college of choice. The author’s literary style in following and depicting… not only the emotional… maturing… and not maturing… growth and impact of not only Lew and Bill… but the entire life change… and stress of Coach John Wooden. The three personalities couldn’t be more different… and if that isn’t enough… the severely turbulent times (and I can personally vouch for this)… of Viet Nam… racism… and the total different life experiences carried by the three main subjects… Alcindor… Walton… and Wooden… could have been a messy burden to juggle and integrate for most authors… but Howard-Cooper manages it as seamlessly as a master juggler in the big tent at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey!
What really surprised me… even though I lived through… and followed the teams and players closely… how much behind the scenes turbulence there was between the players and coach. I’m not talking about Walton being arrested for his government protests… but things like Wooden going to the shower and almost throwing punches at Bill Sweek… after Sweek left the bench and walked off the court… or how Wooden refused to ask for a raise… despite breaking every NCAA record imaginable… and UCLA never gave him one voluntarily! And thus… WOODEN… “MADE MORE MONEY THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF RETIREMENT THAN IN TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS AT UCLA.”
I was shocked that Coach Wooden would almost never make a recruiting call unless literally forced to by UCLA administration… AND HE NEVER SCOUTED AN OPPONENT!
The author doesn’t hold back… on what was an almost open (at least to me… and many others at the time) corruption in UCLA athletics (Wooden had no part in it) with booster Sam Gilbert who was involved in almost daily illegal payments and gifts to players… literally openly flaunting… and breaking all NCAA rules. As John Wooden aged… and lived till he was ninety-nine-years-old… almost all his former players… including Sweek… wound up... (not Edgar Lacy) reconnecting with their former coach… and with time… and maturity… from all sides… were able to not only mend fences… but tell each other what they meant to each other… as life… continued… as it always will… to run its own fast break… even without a court and ball.
As Bill Walton said: “WE THOUGHT AT THE TIME THAT A LOT OF THE STUFF COACH WOODEN WAS SELLING… WERE THE STUPIDEST THINGS EVER, BUT WE NEVER DOUBTED THE HONESTY, RIGHTEOUSNESS, DEDICATION, PREPARATION, COMMITMENT, AND EXCELLENCE THAT WAS BEHIND IT ALL.”
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL NOTE FROM REVIEWER TO POTENTIAL READERS: If you are a serious reader… you can’t help but notice… the phony charade that authors and publishers… have increasingly tried to pull off for the last decade or so… as to ripping off readers… by phonily increasing the total number of pages in a book.
Their asinine juvenile attempts to think they’re fooling us by the following bush league “tricks”… such as…
1. Increasing the size of fonts to take up more space… without adding any additional content. THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT!
2. Increasing the size of blank space between each line… THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT!
3. Increasing the size of the blank space on all borders… THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT!
4. Increasing the size of blank lines between each paragraph… THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT!
5. I believe that if the author utilized the spurious publishing methods of the aforementioned publishing scam artists… this book would needlessly be 25-50 pages longer.
This entire book is written with one attempt… that is 100% successful… he delivers maximum content… in the proper un-embellished size and space. He does not try to falsely increase page count to meet some type of contractual page total!
And last but not least… his story from beginning to end… NEVER ONCE… meanders around describing nothing of importance. From page one… he turns on the “literary-engine”… steps on the gas… and doesn’t take his foot off the gas… stop at any signs… AND NEVER TAKES A DETOUR! Interesting… well researched… well documented… and finishes with a ribbon tying the whole literary gift together!
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The UCLA Bruins have won more NCAA Basketball Championships (eleven) than any other division one team in the history of college basketball! The most successful era for any college basketball team… was the twelve year period… 1964-1975… this was when UCLA won TEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS… INCLUDING A RECORD SEVEN-STRAIGHT TITLES… a record that probably will never be broken. As of this writing, it has stood for forty -nine -years already with no one coming within viewing distance! During this time period they also set the all-time RECORD FOR MOST CONTINUOUS VICTORIES…EIGHTY-EIGHT-STRAIGHT-GAMES… A RECORD THAT STILL STANDS ALONE IN HISTORY! During this once in a lifetime domination of victory… UCLA also had THREE UNDEFEATED 30 AND 0 SEASONS!
There were many great… and supportive players during this juncture… but the one constant was the coach John Wooden. Wooden is one of only five individuals who made the basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. Along with Coach Wooden… Hall of famers Lew Alcindor (before he changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and Bill Walton… both… were idiosyncratic… Hall of Famers. The major power of this book… is the detailed analysis of both icons on and off the court… and of course Wooden’s unique makeup… and a no-holds-barred dissection of each of these iconoclast… unique individuals on and off the court … and all these decades later… how they impacted each other’s storied lives. There are many other players and eras of UCLA basketball players scrutinized including the reign of the teams headed by Curtis Rowe… Sidney Wicks… and Henry Bibby… who I played and competed against during my concurrent high school basketball career in the City of Los Angeles…and battling them in the top High School scoring leaders articles… (PROOF IS POSTED ON MY PROFILE PAGE) on weekends… summer… and in Bibby’s case… during my military service during Viet Nam… when I was back in California playing on the military basketball team… I’d come home on weekends and play in pickup games at Pauley Pavilion.
Also discussed… in nowhere the detail of the aforementioned individuals… are the original back-to-back (and first) NCAA UCLA champions… the unique 1964 and 1965 champions… sparked by the great Gail Goodrich… and Walt Hazzard… Keith Erickson… and others… who with their tallest starting player being only 6’5” tall… were a marvel to be held in the eyes and heart… of true basketball aficionados!
The author… Scott Howard-Cooper… does a tremendous job… combining a large quantity of archival material (all deeply documented in a professionally detailed “notes”… and “bibliography” (and index) sections in the back of the book)… along with numerous timely current interviews.
The author is at his best when delving into the complete “sea-change” tidal waves… of first Lew Alcindor… and years later… Bill Walton selecting… UCLA as their basketball college of choice. The author’s literary style in following and depicting… not only the emotional… maturing… and not maturing… growth and impact of not only Lew and Bill… but the entire life change… and stress of Coach John Wooden. The three personalities couldn’t be more different… and if that isn’t enough… the severely turbulent times (and I can personally vouch for this)… of Viet Nam… racism… and the total different life experiences carried by the three main subjects… Alcindor… Walton… and Wooden… could have been a messy burden to juggle and integrate for most authors… but Howard-Cooper manages it as seamlessly as a master juggler in the big tent at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey!
What really surprised me… even though I lived through… and followed the teams and players closely… how much behind the scenes turbulence there was between the players and coach. I’m not talking about Walton being arrested for his government protests… but things like Wooden going to the shower and almost throwing punches at Bill Sweek… after Sweek left the bench and walked off the court… or how Wooden refused to ask for a raise… despite breaking every NCAA record imaginable… and UCLA never gave him one voluntarily! And thus… WOODEN… “MADE MORE MONEY THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF RETIREMENT THAN IN TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS AT UCLA.”
I was shocked that Coach Wooden would almost never make a recruiting call unless literally forced to by UCLA administration… AND HE NEVER SCOUTED AN OPPONENT!
The author doesn’t hold back… on what was an almost open (at least to me… and many others at the time) corruption in UCLA athletics (Wooden had no part in it) with booster Sam Gilbert who was involved in almost daily illegal payments and gifts to players… literally openly flaunting… and breaking all NCAA rules. As John Wooden aged… and lived till he was ninety-nine-years-old… almost all his former players… including Sweek… wound up... (not Edgar Lacy) reconnecting with their former coach… and with time… and maturity… from all sides… were able to not only mend fences… but tell each other what they meant to each other… as life… continued… as it always will… to run its own fast break… even without a court and ball.
As Bill Walton said: “WE THOUGHT AT THE TIME THAT A LOT OF THE STUFF COACH WOODEN WAS SELLING… WERE THE STUPIDEST THINGS EVER, BUT WE NEVER DOUBTED THE HONESTY, RIGHTEOUSNESS, DEDICATION, PREPARATION, COMMITMENT, AND EXCELLENCE THAT WAS BEHIND IT ALL.”
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL NOTE FROM REVIEWER TO POTENTIAL READERS: If you are a serious reader… you can’t help but notice… the phony charade that authors and publishers… have increasingly tried to pull off for the last decade or so… as to ripping off readers… by phonily increasing the total number of pages in a book.
Their asinine juvenile attempts to think they’re fooling us by the following bush league “tricks”… such as…
1. Increasing the size of fonts to take up more space… without adding any additional content. THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT!
2. Increasing the size of blank space between each line… THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT!
3. Increasing the size of the blank space on all borders… THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT!
4. Increasing the size of blank lines between each paragraph… THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT!
5. I believe that if the author utilized the spurious publishing methods of the aforementioned publishing scam artists… this book would needlessly be 25-50 pages longer.
This entire book is written with one attempt… that is 100% successful… he delivers maximum content… in the proper un-embellished size and space. He does not try to falsely increase page count to meet some type of contractual page total!
And last but not least… his story from beginning to end… NEVER ONCE… meanders around describing nothing of importance. From page one… he turns on the “literary-engine”… steps on the gas… and doesn’t take his foot off the gas… stop at any signs… AND NEVER TAKES A DETOUR! Interesting… well researched… well documented… and finishes with a ribbon tying the whole literary gift together!
December 28, 2024
Really enjoyed this book and insight to UCLA basketball. Had heard a lot about their program but this book contained a lot of stories that I had never heard.
December 30, 2023
Kingdom on Fire follows the college coaching career of John Wooden at UCLA through the 60s and 70s as he put together legendary championship runs in seven consecutive years with superstars Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton.
I came into this book having a fair to average amount of knowledge regarding John Wooden and the historical run of wins and championships that he managed to put together for the UCLA Bruins. The amount of knowledge that I feel like I acquired after reading this book is vast, and that is meant in the best way possible.
Scott Howard-Cooper did an excellent job of framing the story at the beginning of Abdul Jabbar’s college career through the end of Bill Walton’s. One thing I really enjoyed was how he went into details about what was really going on in that time period including the civil unrest and how it affected all three of the main characters differently. Wooden being on the conservative side, Abdul Jabbar being more on the reserved side until he found his voice, and Walton being extremely outspoken about issues.
This book did a very nice job of providing intricate details that built around and strengthened the storytelling. This book was provided to me as an advance copy in exchange for my honest and fair opinion but I would highly recommend to sports fan in general, regardless of age
I came into this book having a fair to average amount of knowledge regarding John Wooden and the historical run of wins and championships that he managed to put together for the UCLA Bruins. The amount of knowledge that I feel like I acquired after reading this book is vast, and that is meant in the best way possible.
Scott Howard-Cooper did an excellent job of framing the story at the beginning of Abdul Jabbar’s college career through the end of Bill Walton’s. One thing I really enjoyed was how he went into details about what was really going on in that time period including the civil unrest and how it affected all three of the main characters differently. Wooden being on the conservative side, Abdul Jabbar being more on the reserved side until he found his voice, and Walton being extremely outspoken about issues.
This book did a very nice job of providing intricate details that built around and strengthened the storytelling. This book was provided to me as an advance copy in exchange for my honest and fair opinion but I would highly recommend to sports fan in general, regardless of age
August 22, 2024
This work looks at one of the most successful and turbulent times in UCLA’s illustrious college basketball history. Wooden, Jabbar (then Alcindor) and Walton. Some of the biggest names and powers in the game all co-existed during this time. Wooden was not a saint, but he was effective at what he did, and like many coaches like Landry, many who played for him chaffed under some of his rules and actions while there, but people came to appreciate him more after they left. It also covers the late 1960s-early 1970s, so anti-war protests and calls for civil rights/Black Power did much to upend the accepted order. Still, the ball was played, and UCLA had one of its more dominant runs during this time.
This is primarily for the sports fan, but even the non-sports fan would get something out of this. It doesn’t cover everything, but it does a good job of offering a balanced view of the main characters. Good and bad, they were human, but on the court, there are few parallels. Worth the read.
This is primarily for the sports fan, but even the non-sports fan would get something out of this. It doesn’t cover everything, but it does a good job of offering a balanced view of the main characters. Good and bad, they were human, but on the court, there are few parallels. Worth the read.
February 11, 2025
A great portrait of the legendary UCLA head coach and two of his biggest stars during the school's dynasty.
Lots of good information and stories from a long life and during the turbulent '60s and '70s on college campuses.
www.thebrianlennonshow.substack.com
Lots of good information and stories from a long life and during the turbulent '60s and '70s on college campuses.
www.thebrianlennonshow.substack.com
April 7, 2024
A wonderful trip down nostalgia lane, reliving great memories of UCLA basketball (and many I did not see). Cooper's writing is lively, and the story telling flows easily. It summoned up a memory of Bill Walton scoring 21 of 22 shots in the 1973 final against Memphis State, a truly incredible performance. John Wooden was a great man, but with flaws like all heroes, and he comes across generally as a kind, decent, and caring man, and as a basketball coach, a brilliant leader but not perfect. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is also written about with care and insight, and as a reader, one does get a sense of the three protagonists. This book is really worth reading for any basketball fan.
August 27, 2024
Not just a sports bio for hoops junkies, Kingdom On Fire is an in-depth story about coach John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Walton, (and a big cast of supporting characters) and the dominant run by UCLA during the 1960s-70s. Lots of great tidbits here, and I won't spoil it. I would have liked the book to have fewer run-on sentences. But I only quibble.
This is an engrossing read about what it's like to shoulder the pressure of winning every game.
This is an engrossing read about what it's like to shoulder the pressure of winning every game.
March 14, 2024
I am a huge sports history fan and Kingdom on Fire is one of the better recently released sports books I have read. Basketball history has always been interesting to me and the way Howard-Cooper is able to weave the history of UCLA basketball with the social factors occurring throughout the seasons of 1965-1975 is not only informative but compelling.
June 2, 2024
I liked the second part of the book about Walton much better than the first part of the book about Kareem. Kareem’s section was too repetitive whereas the Walton part was full of interesting stories.
January 21, 2025
As a Bruin it was nice hearing this history. Never knew it was so hard on a winning team but I can see how it draws unnecessary attention and expectations. Happy I got to watch games with John Wooden in Pauley.
March 24, 2024
Won me over, ultimately. I think wishful reading of the subtitle made me think this was going to be more history-focused than it actually was, and so for a good chunk of the book I was resenting the lack of deeper historical context. (Also, the author has a weird aversion to commas, for some reason.) But that's not actually what the book is about--nor, to be fair, what it says it's about--so my bad, as they so often put it in The New York Review of Books.
Maybe the most interesting part is that the acknowledgements mention the formative role Bill Walton played in helping Howard-Cooper both conceive of the project and connect with his former teammates, and yet young off-court Walton comes off not very well--impulsive, uninformed, selfishly prone to grand and unthought performative gestures. (On-court Walton fares better, which seems just: having seen only the 80s Celtics shell of him, by then a grizzled survivor of many, many surgeries, it was a revelation to behold the primo version on the rampage in the excellent Thinking Basketball feature on his career peak, and this book emphasizes just how dominant he was as a college player.) So you have to think part of this is Walton himself looking back in regret. Kareem, of course, is invoked only through his written work and is just described as a "racist teenager," which strikes me as a little simple.
But the wealth of human detail here is quite something; Howard-Cooper gets former Bruins and opponents to reminisce and to consider their experiences at least somewhat in the light of the period (the divergence in draft experiences, though the section is brief, is quite illuminating, though I would have loved to know the height limit for draftees, which presumably eliminated a bunch of basketball players from consideration by definition), and so we get into locker rooms and hotel rooms and apartment buildings for a look inside the dynasty (this is the 10-titles-in-12-years high point)...which, honestly, mostly sounds miserable for almost everyone involved. Wooden was under fire for not winning by enough, the players chafed under his cornpone maxims ("how to correctly put on socks" was invariably his first lesson), and the level of tension was both constant and unbearable, since reaching the highest level of success was expected, so how could you ever do better? Since Kareem could not play varsity as a freshman, the prediction was three titles after that, which he duly won, meaning that he had merely lived up to expectations--and then he left town and told everyone in great detail how unhappy he had been all along. Walton did the same.
The concluding section highlights how much the pain of this time has been burnished: Wooden, who was much angrier than people knew during the dynasty's heights (my favorite anecdote was how forcefully he worked the refs from behind a rolled-up program so it was less conspicuous, unless it was when he almost challenged one of his players to a fight while said player was in the shower) became a placid sage in retirement, a beloved mentor whose best players came to adore him and even, in Kareem's case, wrote a book celebrating their relationship. There's also a good bit about the fundamental ways booster Sam Gilbert provided exactly the same goodies for UCLA basketball that Luther Campbell did for Miami athletics, but for much longer, though Howard-Cooper does not quite nail down the extent to which these benefits sold players on the school, nor to what extent we should see the dynasty, and Wooden's reputation, as discredited or undermined by this long train of graft. Still, this provides a vivid and unsettling vision of how painful success can be.
Maybe the most interesting part is that the acknowledgements mention the formative role Bill Walton played in helping Howard-Cooper both conceive of the project and connect with his former teammates, and yet young off-court Walton comes off not very well--impulsive, uninformed, selfishly prone to grand and unthought performative gestures. (On-court Walton fares better, which seems just: having seen only the 80s Celtics shell of him, by then a grizzled survivor of many, many surgeries, it was a revelation to behold the primo version on the rampage in the excellent Thinking Basketball feature on his career peak, and this book emphasizes just how dominant he was as a college player.) So you have to think part of this is Walton himself looking back in regret. Kareem, of course, is invoked only through his written work and is just described as a "racist teenager," which strikes me as a little simple.
But the wealth of human detail here is quite something; Howard-Cooper gets former Bruins and opponents to reminisce and to consider their experiences at least somewhat in the light of the period (the divergence in draft experiences, though the section is brief, is quite illuminating, though I would have loved to know the height limit for draftees, which presumably eliminated a bunch of basketball players from consideration by definition), and so we get into locker rooms and hotel rooms and apartment buildings for a look inside the dynasty (this is the 10-titles-in-12-years high point)...which, honestly, mostly sounds miserable for almost everyone involved. Wooden was under fire for not winning by enough, the players chafed under his cornpone maxims ("how to correctly put on socks" was invariably his first lesson), and the level of tension was both constant and unbearable, since reaching the highest level of success was expected, so how could you ever do better? Since Kareem could not play varsity as a freshman, the prediction was three titles after that, which he duly won, meaning that he had merely lived up to expectations--and then he left town and told everyone in great detail how unhappy he had been all along. Walton did the same.
The concluding section highlights how much the pain of this time has been burnished: Wooden, who was much angrier than people knew during the dynasty's heights (my favorite anecdote was how forcefully he worked the refs from behind a rolled-up program so it was less conspicuous, unless it was when he almost challenged one of his players to a fight while said player was in the shower) became a placid sage in retirement, a beloved mentor whose best players came to adore him and even, in Kareem's case, wrote a book celebrating their relationship. There's also a good bit about the fundamental ways booster Sam Gilbert provided exactly the same goodies for UCLA basketball that Luther Campbell did for Miami athletics, but for much longer, though Howard-Cooper does not quite nail down the extent to which these benefits sold players on the school, nor to what extent we should see the dynasty, and Wooden's reputation, as discredited or undermined by this long train of graft. Still, this provides a vivid and unsettling vision of how painful success can be.
March 29, 2024
Goodreads Giveaway - This book doesn't know what it wants to be. Howard-Cooper never pulls together a coherent narrative thread. One section will focus on Abdul-Jabbar's social activism, the next on how old fashioned Wooden was. Only a couple of bits actually focus on basketball - most of the time it's about Wooden being a stick in the mud while Abdul-Jabbar and Walton act like "college students" during the 60s. If it didn't occasionally mention the other members of the UCLA basketball team, you could confuse this book with a haphazard account of a father who has two slightly disobedient children. And while the subtitle does indicate that the focus will be on Kareem, Wooden, and Walton - Wooden's first two national championships are completely ignored, almost like they aren't even part of the "dynasty" and his final championship is glossed over in a paragraph (since neither Kareem nor Walton were on those teams). Howard-Cooper also regularly provide contradictory information within a page or two. I frequently found myself going back and forth making sure I read these contradictory statements correctly. For the most part, this is a poorly written, poorly edited work (granted I was reading an unfinished galley giveaway). However, the epilogue of this book was quite moving, actually bringing me to tears many times. Howard-Cooper manages to humanize and brings the reader to empathize with Wooden even after portraying him as a hypocrite. Wooden's grief over the death of his wife Nell was truly an affective section worth reading. Unless you're a UCLA completist or a hardcore college basketball nut, I'm not sure I'd recommend this. But, if you're familiar with the Bruins of the 60s and early 70s, reading the epilogue is well worth the time.
April 26, 2025
Scott Howard-Cooper's Kingdom of Fire was an excellent look back at what is, even today, considered by many as the greatest college basketball team, ever. Big name players like Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Bill Walton were part of my first childhood basketball era, and both played at UCLA for legendary coach John Wooden. As a hoops lover and history buff, I was excited to finally read the book.
The book begins by chronicling the team and Wooden during the turbulent late '60s, a time of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. This is all in the background (naturally) as Howard-Cooper's words walk you through the Louis Alcindor years, or now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabar. Wooden and his Alcindor-lead squad were dynamic to say the least, all while going through the times and attitudes of Americans all over the country. Howard-Cooper talked about Wooden during this time and how he dealt with it all, navigating the adolescent minds of his team while under immense pressure to keep winning.
The book then chronicles the post-Alcindor era that was ushered by another NBA Hall-of-Famer, Bill Walton. A stark contrast to the Alcindor-lead teams, the book talked about how Coach Wooden dealt with the large personality Walton is known for while keeping focus on winning even more championships before ultimately losing to Notre Dame in 1974 to end an 88-game win streak and that aftermath of that loss.
The best part of the book for me was getting to know the life and psyche of one of history's most influential sports figures, and certainly a G.O.A.T. or Mount Rushmore pick for basketball coaches. Whether you were alive to see it all when it happened or are just a hoops fan that loves the history of the game as much as I do, you must read Kingdom of Fire.
The book begins by chronicling the team and Wooden during the turbulent late '60s, a time of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. This is all in the background (naturally) as Howard-Cooper's words walk you through the Louis Alcindor years, or now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabar. Wooden and his Alcindor-lead squad were dynamic to say the least, all while going through the times and attitudes of Americans all over the country. Howard-Cooper talked about Wooden during this time and how he dealt with it all, navigating the adolescent minds of his team while under immense pressure to keep winning.
The book then chronicles the post-Alcindor era that was ushered by another NBA Hall-of-Famer, Bill Walton. A stark contrast to the Alcindor-lead teams, the book talked about how Coach Wooden dealt with the large personality Walton is known for while keeping focus on winning even more championships before ultimately losing to Notre Dame in 1974 to end an 88-game win streak and that aftermath of that loss.
The best part of the book for me was getting to know the life and psyche of one of history's most influential sports figures, and certainly a G.O.A.T. or Mount Rushmore pick for basketball coaches. Whether you were alive to see it all when it happened or are just a hoops fan that loves the history of the game as much as I do, you must read Kingdom of Fire.
April 6, 2024
"Kingdom on Fire" is a well told story of a teacher and two students. The teacher stayed in his lane and stayed true to his values and the students challenged the teacher and over a lifetime respected and admired their wise teacher and friend. Author Scott Howard-Cooper has done an outstanding job of blending biography of three larger than life personalities and the thrill of in game athletic competition. Game stories are included only where necessary to advance the story. This book can be read and enjoyed especially by readers who only have a general interest in sports. But, if the reader is a college basketball fan, this book is a must read to learn more about the very special relationship between Coach John Wooden, Karem Abdul Jabar and Bill Walton. UCLA had an amazing dynasty during these years which may have been lost to memory over the past 50 years. But consider that the team including Karem in a 3 year period won more National Championships than games it lost! This is also a terrific book to learn more about the very special man who considered himself a Christian, Husband, Father, Teacher and Coach. Scott Howard-Cooper is very careful not to make this a Wooden only book; but there is enough Wooden to definitely allow the reader to get to know the man and to understand how he poured himself into his players in a caring way. Wooden sayings are included throughout the book and one of my favorites is on the last page. So if you want to know what that saying is then go quickly but don't hurry and read this great story. JIM
October 21, 2024
I started following UCLA football and basketball about 1951 or 1952. Johnny Moore was my first basketball hero. I was a senior in college when they went undefeated in 1964. So, my UCLA roots run deep.
I closely followed the Bruins during the glory years and still do. I attended many games during that time. I have read other books about Wooden. I watched the 30 for 30 shows about Walton. This well researched book expands on everything I knew about what went on with the team.
People may miss many of the life lessons that Wooden taught and lived. As I get older, I have discovered that people who were in my life, but not close, are now some of my best friends. The stress of the glory years took a toll on the entire team, not just the people featured in the book. This is not much different from men in combat together. In this case, Wooden, Alcindor, and Walton all had growing pains during this time. The later part of the book shows the the growth in all of them as well as the bit players and team managers and how generally they became close.
Sam Gilbert, a friend of the players was an illusive figure during this time who nobody knew how to control. I thought it was interesting in the Epilogue, that he may have even faked his own death.
My only fault with the book is that it could have been edited much better. But even the best players miss a free throw from time to time.
I closely followed the Bruins during the glory years and still do. I attended many games during that time. I have read other books about Wooden. I watched the 30 for 30 shows about Walton. This well researched book expands on everything I knew about what went on with the team.
People may miss many of the life lessons that Wooden taught and lived. As I get older, I have discovered that people who were in my life, but not close, are now some of my best friends. The stress of the glory years took a toll on the entire team, not just the people featured in the book. This is not much different from men in combat together. In this case, Wooden, Alcindor, and Walton all had growing pains during this time. The later part of the book shows the the growth in all of them as well as the bit players and team managers and how generally they became close.
Sam Gilbert, a friend of the players was an illusive figure during this time who nobody knew how to control. I thought it was interesting in the Epilogue, that he may have even faked his own death.
My only fault with the book is that it could have been edited much better. But even the best players miss a free throw from time to time.
April 16, 2024
Having been great fans of UCLA basketball during the Wooden era, this was a fascinating take on the time and the people. I did not find Wooden to be as extraordinary a coach as he is seen today. It was fascinating to be reminded of the history of the times as experienced by the great basketball talents of Jabbar and Walton. I hurt for Kareem at his loneliness and dissatisfaction with his choice of Los Angeles. And, my respect for him grew with seeing how he analyzed and confronted obstacles, worked hard, and kept his commitments. Wow, Bill Walton. It is amazing how he always played hard through so much physical pain, giving his all. His passion for causes and his love of nature and family were laudable. I never felt that the complexity of these 2 extraordinary young people was fully appreciated by Coach Wooden until long after they left his program. Consequently, their closeness to Coach by the end of Wooden's life was hard to understand. This was a good audible book for a road trip with Mike.
May 25, 2025
The title suggests that this book is a sports book, but that is only half of it. Covering the period from the late sixties to the mid seventies, it's also a social commentary. The three main subjects are: Coach John Wooden, a conservative Christian who guided UCLA to an unprecedented dominance of college basketball; Kareem Abdul Jabbar, an all-time great who started as a Catholic, became a Muslim, morphed into a resentful black idol, and ended up a tolerant humanitarian; and Bill Walton, another all-time great whose connections to the seventies counter-culture clashed with his coach's views.
It also touches on changes in the game of basketball and the corruption designed to evade the NCAA's idealization of the "student-athlete."
The only problem with the book, and it's a big one, is that it needed a more aggressive editor to make the prose flow more smoothly; the concept of crisp, declarative sentences is missing. Nevertheless, it's a very good read for baby-boomer sports fans.
It also touches on changes in the game of basketball and the corruption designed to evade the NCAA's idealization of the "student-athlete."
The only problem with the book, and it's a big one, is that it needed a more aggressive editor to make the prose flow more smoothly; the concept of crisp, declarative sentences is missing. Nevertheless, it's a very good read for baby-boomer sports fans.
February 22, 2024
I greatly enjoy college basketball. This book is about the most dominant team in the history of college basketball. UCLA won 7 NCAA titles in a row and 10 in 12 seasons in the 60s and 70s. They had two of the best centers in NCAA history in Lew Alcinder and Bill Walton. I do like how the book isn't all about college basketball. In fact, a large portion of it isn't. It's about how the players and John Wooden reacted to the civil unrest of the era, each of the 3 main characters had very different attitudes and ways of looking at the social upheaval of the era. I think that's a very overlooked factor of the era when it comes to sports and it greatly affected some players. A very good read if you are into history or college basketball.
April 28, 2025
I grew up with the dominance of UCLA in college basketball. I wanted to be Kareem. I wanted to be Bill Walton. I wanted to be John Wooden. This book, wonderfully written, recounts not only the glory of these players but the agony of the players as they tried to navigate both basketball excellence and a changing America. It recounts Kareem's battle with racism and his efforts toward equality. It recounts Walton's basketball fanaticism, and his counter-culture beliefs and actions. The book recounts the highs and lows of John Wooden's attempts to separate basketball from the world of the sixties, and his continuing legacy in players and coaches. Wonderfully written, never a dull page.
August 2, 2025
This was good but not great. The writing was decent, and if you aren't a basketball history fan I wouldn't recommend it. Nonetheless, it was cool to learn more about the greatest basketball dynasty in college basketball history and the intersection of that run with the social and political history of that era. I also enjoyed getting to know more about the three main characters, especially Wooden, whom I knew little about before this. There was an interesting cultural tension going on between his old-school, midwestern approach and the free-wheeling culture of the 1960s, but that tension didn't extend much to the court, where Wooden allowed his players a decent amount of free rein.
Anyways, solid book.
Anyways, solid book.
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