Reactions to death of John Wooden

. . . Their wordsReaction to John Wooden's passing:

"He was more like a parent than a coach . . . he was a disciplinarian. We learned all about those aspects of life that most kids want to skip over. He wouldn't let us do that."

- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"He always knew what to say. Even in the heyday of winning and losing, you could almost discuss anything with him."

- former UCLA star Jamaal Wilkes

"Many have called Coach Wooden the 'gold standard' of coaches. I believe he was the 'gold standard' of people . . . He was one of the great leaders - in any profession - of his generation."

- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski

"He's the greatest coach in college basketball if not all basketball from the standpoint of all of us trying to emulate what he's done . . . if he's not as important as Dr. Naismith, he's right next to him."

- Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun

"When I think of a basketball coach the only one I ever thought of was Coach Wooden.''

- Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim

"There was the common affinity we shared for Purdue and UCLA and that forged a unique bond . . . I turned to him for perspective at every critical juncture over the past 20 years." - St. John's coach Steve Lavin,

who coached at UCLA and Purdue

"He was a man of humility who embodied the best in character and values, and exemplified what coaching is all about . . . His legacy will endure forever."

- Florida coach Billy Donovan

"I always admired his gentle demand for nothing but excellence and his student-athletes delivered. He created role models on and off the court . . . For all of his successes, he was such a humble man."

- Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt