Building on that, Wooden’s UCLA program embodied process fidelity. He famously began each season by teaching players how to put on socks and lace shoes—minutiae that prevented blisters and enabled consistency. His “Pyramid of Success” places Industriousness and Enthusiasm at the foundation and Competitive Greatness at the apex, signaling that supreme performance emerges from routine excellence. Though his teams won 10 NCAA titles (1964–1975), Wooden judged success by effort and improvement in practice. Scoreboards mattered, but character under preparation mattered more—a philosophy that made peace of mind compatible with relentless ambition. [...]
