UCLA Legend John Vallely Details Significance of John Wooden's Teachings in New Book

Sam Garcia | 2 Hours Ago

Malcolm Emmons - Imagn Images

Former UCLA men’s basketball starting guard John Vallely is releasing a book, alongside former collegiate Division 1 strength and conditioning coach Paul Weissenstein. Vallely, who played for the Bruins from 1968-70, tells the story of his journey to UCLA and honors Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame head coach John Wooden in a new book titled “The Pyramid Principle”.

The title of Vallely’s book pays tribute to Wooden’s famous “Pyramid of Success”, which highlights 25 key characteristics needed to achieve excellence. Wooden instilled this ideology into his players throughout his 29-season coaching career at UCLA. Although Wooden passed in 2010, his “Pyramid of Success” remains a significant part of UCLA Athletics and beyond.

An image of John Wooden's Pyramid of Success, signed by Wooden from John Vallely's Book, "The Pyramid Principle." / SpiritMedia

"A beautifully written story," Gregory Craig, the Chairman of the Price Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Anderson at UCLA said about the book in a press release. "I reflected and took away valuable life lessons. It celebrates an era of coaching and teaching that has left us but still has great value. These timeless lessons and challenges remind us that life is fleeting and must be treasured."

Entering UCLA as a junior college transfer, Vallely played alongside NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabaar in his two seasons with the Bruins. Vallely, who was UCLA's third-leading scorer in his first season, helped the Bruins win back-to-back NCAA Championships. In 1970, the All-American declared for the NBA draft and was selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the 14th overall pick. He spent time with both the Hawks and the Houston Rockets.

Image of John Vallely's daughter, Erin, from "The Pyramid Principle." / SpiritMedia

After a successful basketball career, Vallely's life changed forever in 1991. His daughter, Erin, passed away on Sept. 20 after a three-year-long battle with pediatric cancer. She was only 12 years old. A few years later, Vallely was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a potentially fatal form of cancer. After two battles with the disease, Vallely has remained cancer-free ever since.

In "The Pyramid Principle", Vallely explains how Wooden's "Pyramid of Success" became especially relevant in this period of his life. Vallely realized the lessons he learned in his collegiate years under Wooden transcend the sport of basketball. At the top of Wooden's "Pyramid of Success" is "faith through prayer", a value that empowered Vallely through hardship.

Image of John Vallely and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from "The Pyramid Principle." / SpiritMedia

Now, Vallely is heavily involved with the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, serving as a member of the Board of Directors. Alongside V. Foundation for Cancer Research, Vallely has founded the Dribble Over Cancer event, which will take place on Sunday at UCLA's Drake Stadium. Additionally, "The Pyramid Principle" is intended to raise awareness for cancer research and will donate a portion of the proceeds to the cause.

At the 17th annual Dribble Over Cancer event on Sunday, both Vallely and co-author Weissenstein will be present for a book signing. Vallely's book, which is expected to be a New York Times Best Seller, is set to release on Nov. 19 and will be available for purchase anywhere books are sold.