Andy

Dedication My son Eric is a powerful force of courage and commitment and was a cornerstone of stability when it felt like my world was falling apart. When his nine-year-old younger sister was diagnosed with cancer, Eric became a special teammate and champion of hers. It was hard for me to even see straight after we lost Erin at age twelve, but Eric remained steadfast and kept me grounded by saying, “Dad, we are still a family.” Eric would go off to school at UCLA, play on two NCAA championship volleyball teams, graduate on time, and start his adult life. He has always been the special glue that helps keep us together. He married his wife Suzanne, and they have our talented granddaughter Vivian, who attends Pepperdine University and competes on the swim and dive team. It is with great joy that Karen and I honor and dedicate our family story to our son, Eric Vallely. Based on the Life of John Vallely 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: The Journey Begins................................................9 Chapter 2: Meeting the Perfect Teammate.............................15 Chapter 3: Preparation............................................................27 Chapter 4: The Foundation....................................................33 Chapter 5: Off-season..............................................................61 Chapter 6: “The Team Without”............................................67 Chapter 7: “You Marry that Girl”...........................................85 Chapter 8: Playing in the Real World.....................................91 Chapter 9: All In......................................................................99 Chapter 10: More to Life........................................................105 Chapter 11: Erin’s Battle Begins.............................................111 Chapter 12: Last Dance..........................................................125 Chapter 13: A Sign of God’s Faithfulness.............................139 Chapter 14: Battle with a Banking Behemoth.......................145 Chapter 15: A Fight for my Life Begins.................................161 Chapter 16: Formidable Opponent.......................................167 Chapter 17: Rematch with Lymphoma.................................177 Chapter 18: Hall of Fame Induction.....................................195 Chapter 19: Love.....................................................................199 Chapter 20: The Gift of Life..................................................201 Chapter 21: “Dribble for Victory over Cancer”....................207 Chapter 22: Faith....................................................................213 Based on the Life of John Vallely 5 INTRODUCTION In Houston’s MD Anderson’s Cancer Center, one pint of stem cells, flown in directly from Germany, passed drip by drip into my bloodstream. Far from my NBA days as a former first-rounder and a Houston Rocket, my best shot at survival hung in that bag. I was starting from scratch. My blood count registered at zero: no red cells, no white cells, just stem cells. Even in my nervous state, I could tell something was wrong. Sure enough, the central venous catheter line that was transporting the stem cells to my system had ruptured, and blood was spilling out and pooling on the floor. My daughter’s questions from years before had unexpectedly become mine: “Daddy, will I survive a transplant?” followed by “Will I live to see Christmas?” Amid a life journey that has placed me among UCLA Hall of Famers, locked me in a courtroom battle with the Bank of America, and inflicted my darling daughter Erin with cancer, suddenly I was in my fight to stay alive in a rematch with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In that moment of despair, I needed to find a way to hold on to hope in the face of uncertainty. As I wrestled to find God’s strength for my weakness in this battle, my only recourse was to turn to the same source of guidance and wisdom I have used for every critical struggle in my own life: the words and teachings of John Wooden, my UCLA basketball coach and a man I consider the greatest teacher of his time. Based on the Life of John Vallely 7 Chapter 1 THE JOURNEY BEGINS “Even my own mom said I was too slow.” ~ John Vallely This incredible journey all started with a dream, a ball, and the sweet sound of a one-dribble pull-up and a basketball swishing through a hoop. It is a sound that is so pure, so soothing, a satisfying reward for executing the perfect shot: no rim, no backboard, nothing but net. The ultimate dream would be executing the ideal shot for the legendary Coach John Wooden and the Blue and Gold of UCLA. In 1935, my father bought a bayfront property for $7,000 in the Southern California town of Newport Beach. He built bedrooms for me and my sister then hung a backboard up on the garage. Initially, my family complained about the constant sound of the ball bouncing off the basket. After years of dedication, my shot was so smooth Based on the Life of John Vallely 9 CHAPTER 1 that the noise could only be described as calming. Even my dribbling sounded rhythmic. Whether it was on the alleyway asphalt or the hardwood floor, that sound would change my life and one day lead to hope. During those years, I would spend hours upon hours in the alley shooting baskets, intoxicated by the sound and relentless in my efforts to hear it again and again. The other sound that defined my childhood was the splash of waves hitting a moving sailboat. Balboa Island, a harborside community in Newport Harbor, is one of the largest recreational boat and yacht harbors in the United States and the home of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Sometimes referred to as the “Southern California Riviera,” it was a magical place to grow up. Even Hollywood film stars like John Wayne and Shirley Temple came to gain summer inspiration on the bayfront, along with industry tycoons who docked their yachts at their seaside mansions. Relaxed and charming to this day, it feels like a return to 1950 on Marine Avenue. Accessible to the public via bridge or ferry, the Fun Zone Arcade quickly became a destination for kids from all over Orange County. They would come to hang out, play skee ball, ride the Ferris Wheel, eat ice cream, or take a midnight swim beneath the glow of the 1,500 pavilion light bulbs that cast a glimmer on the water. It was a perfect island for vacationers. Many came for boat tours in hopes of seeing blue or orca whales jumping from the crystal-clear water. Some rented boats to travel or fish for mackerel beyond the Balboa Pier. Others would rent paddle boards, canoes, and sailboats to explore or float and dream as the colors faded at sunset on the Newport Beach horizon, from red to orange to purple. Countless came for the white sand beaches. For some, it was just a place to eat the best corn dogs, frozen bananas, and saltwater taffy on the west coast. It was a great location for my father’s business, Vallely Boat Rental. For as long as I can remember, he owned and operated this enterprise where I spent my childhood with him by the water. By the time I 10 The Pyramid Principle THE JOURNEY BEGINS was eight, it was time for me to pitch in. In exchange for my father letting me take an occasional boat out, I began working for the business. I wanted to be out on the water as much as possible. It was the first place where I felt free, other than in the alleyway with that basketball. To have time to hoop and surf in the summer afternoons, I took the opening shift, arriving at 7 a.m. With only the early morning company of seagulls, I would rake the beach, scrape barnacles off the sides of the boats, and refuel the boats for that day’s renters. Understanding the importance of consistency and presentation in his business, my dad was perfectionistic in these tasks and expected me to uphold a standard of excellence as his employee. I grew up working with an attention to detail and feeling the pride that comes from executing tasks with diligence. That same diligence applied to my shooting and basketball preparation, which had now become an obsession. In seventh grade, I made the junior high team, and it was the beginning of my dream’s fulfillment. Although I mostly sat on the bench, I would do anything to play, and I increased my work ethic as I prepared for high school. When I arrived at Corona del Mar High School at 5 feet 3 inches and 104 pounds, I was undersized even as a guard. Fortunately, those years of perfecting my shots in the alley made me a great shooter, and that silky shot earned me a spot on the freshman roster. When I grew six inches during my sophomore year, I started to get minutes. By my senior year, I was 6 feet 2 inches and leading my team in scoring. Yet, I was comparing myself to my best friend, Greg George, a football player, who was a highly-ranked linebacker and tight end in Southern California. Greg was raised for the game as his father Ray was a long-time coach at USC and the first player from a Catholic high school in Los Angeles to play in the NFL. As an assistant coach, Ray helped lead USC to the 1962 National Title and a Rose Bowl win with a perfect record. As the head coach of Texas A&M, he beat a Bear Bryant-led Kentucky team before returning to USC from 1972 to 1974 to help the Trojans win two more national titles. Based on the Life of John Vallely 11 CHAPTER 1 As we grew up, it became clear that Greg would reach his dream and follow his father to a roster spot in the Trojan lineup; however, my dream to play basketball at UCLA was almost unreachable because of my physical stature. I was a good high school player, but was playing out of position. Nonetheless, I began to get attention for my shooting skills from college recruiters, including USC and Long Beach State. I was only an average student, which concerned me about college acceptance. My speed limited my ability to play the guard for a team that was winning national championships. To be honest, even my own mom said I was “too slow.” I was too small, too slow, and too whatever else they said I did not have. I knew that I would have to work and find a way or make a way to get to the collegiate level. For that reason, I began to add intensive training to my basketball workout, including a basketball weight room regimen that may have matched Greg’s football workout. With squats, lunges, and power cleans, I started to get bigger and stronger and my vertical increased. While Greg’s competitive drive to join the gridiron greats in the lore of USC football inspired me, I did not yet have the confidence that my efforts would lead to my dream of playing at UCLA. During the summertime, it was common for Greg to stop by Vallely Boat Rentals, either in his van or on his bike. We had designed our own longboard racks on wheels that would attach to the rear of our bicycles, and we threw our 8-foot Hobie boards in and towed them behind our bikes across the ferry, which connected the pier and the Fun Zone. When the tide came in, we would catch some waves. Surfing was another great auxiliary training workout for basketball to develop body control, balance, and spatial awareness. At night, I would shoot another 1,000 shots in my alley, training my skill in the dark by the light of the corner streetlamp. Pushing myself to new limits was exhilarating, and week by week I broke my own personal records. Though we aspired to play for rival colleges, Greg and I certainly wanted to see each other excel in our respective sports. We were just a couple of beach rats who came off the sand, pushing 12 The Pyramid Principle THE JOURNEY BEGINS each other towards playing for two of the best college teams in the country. At night, as a break from training, it was time for the games to begin. We would head to the Fun Zone, where our competitive spirits extended past the hard wood and the gridiron. Bets would be made on who could score higher in skee ball, pinball, or “pop shot” basketball. Greg might beat me at skee ball or pinball, but I was superior in basketball. Those were the carefree days of our youth when our biggest worries were inclement beach weather and what to do when the Fun Zone closed early. The surfing and Fun Zone were always planned around my training schedule, as I was driven to improve and reach my dreams. My first recruiting contact was from USC, and when I received the letter, I was certain it was Greg playing a prank on me. But it was truly from USC head basketball coach Bob Boyd, who gave me great advice. He told me to go at my own pace and begin my college career at the local community Orange Coast College. Although it might not have been the most glamorous place to start my collegiate playing career, it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. Greg went to USC on a full ride, but I tempered my dreams to play at UCLA and never lost sight of that end goal. My years at Orange Coast College were vital to my career in the most indirect of ways, through the most unlikely of avenues: a woman. Based on the Life of John Vallely 13 14 The Pyramid Principle Chapter 2 MEETING THE PERFECT TEAMMATE “Wait for your dream, John. Wait for UCLA.” ~ Karen Lindroth Newport Beach was Orange County’s center of stunning women, who lined the white sand beaches in the summer. Karen Lindroth’s beauty and presence was remarkable, well beyond my reach. She was Based on the Life of John Vallely 15 CHAPTER 2 like no one I had ever seen or met. First of all, she was captivating, with striking eyes that immediately caught my attention. On top of that magic, she combined kindness, wisdom, a perfect 4.0 GPA in contrast to my solid C+ average, and she loved the water as much as I did. Most notably, I had no chance due to our initial introduction. During my senior year, my team played her school, Newport Harbor, in a local Christmas tournament. After a big performance, my teammates knew that I would get the MVP award and dared me to kiss the tournament queen, who was presenting the trophy. It was a challenge, and like most challenges, I accepted. As I went up to receive the trophy, I threw my arms around the redheaded tournament queen and kissed her on the lips. Karen saw this little episode and was astonished. She thought I might be a little aggressive or perhaps a little crazy, and this high school stunt left her skeptical. Two years later, I saw Karen’s song leader team practicing on the sideline of my basketball practice at Orange Coast College. Song leaders are not cheerleaders. Their emphasis is on dance, personality, and presence. I was instantly drawn to her powerful presence and impressively high dance leaps, so I made a deliberate effort in warmups to miss a shot that might roll towards her across the court. It was a perfect miss, and by design Karen picked up the ball. To my surprise, she looked disgusted as she tossed it back to me. At the risk of being distracted from practice preparation, I rolled it towards her a second time and was greeted with the same look. I reasoned, “We’re both from OCC, so can we please be teammates out here?” She shot back, “Don’t roll that ball back here again. You’re the guy with the sloppy award kiss.” It was then that I put the pieces together from that darn kiss. I figured I was done and replied, “She said it was sloppy?” I had no idea how to recover from that until a teammate of mine, who was dating one of Karen’s fellow song leaders, conspired to set us 16 The Pyramid Principle MEETING THE PERFECT TEAMMATE up. In view of the sloppy kiss, Karen was hesitant at first. If that wasn’t enough working against me, I also had a suspect reputation of being a partier in high school and an arrogant “jock.” She didn’t know my character, and her tenderness was slow to recover. Thankfully, after a little convincing from her friend, she decided to give me a chance. She agreed to meet me at a friend’s party, and in advance I decided to just say less. I approached her, shook her hand, and just said, “Hi Karen, I’m John.” The touch of her hand was better than the touch of the basketball, and I’m sure I held on long. Karen looked at me differently. The thought crossed my mind that she felt sorry for me, considering the pathetic kiss and that pitiful ball rolling stunt with my longing eyes. I reasoned that maybe in those eyes she could see that I was lovestruck. I was surprised when she agreed to drive me home. I decided to ask her out the very next night. She smiled as she said, “Sure, I’ll meet you at the Orange Coast Library.” I was caught off guard with excitement and responded like a guy who needed the library as I replied, “Cool! What’s a library?” Karen replied, “It’s a quiet place where we can get something done.” I thought her reply was meant to be suggestive and said, “Cool, see you there after practice.” I felt a renewed excitement that made my heart race and picked up my pace on the drive home. It was all work with her, and I didn’t force it. As the library lights started to dim at closing and the green banker’s lamp on the study table acted as a virtual mood lamp, I stared over my book to see her glance at me. There I was again with my reckless lips taking a shot at a kiss. She shut me down cold but with a smile in her eyes. I was a college kid, and this realization that she was earnest about a study date was disappointing at first. But that evening was an important turning point for me. I realized that part of the reason I was Based on the Life of John Vallely 17 CHAPTER 2 enamored with Karen was due to the indescribable determination that she had in every facet of her life. I knew I needed what Karen had, and I wanted it to rub off on me. With a score of 0 for 2 in our date success rate, I thought I better show some class and waited for her in the quad with flowers. I asked her one last time, “Can I meet you at the library again? I promise I’ll sit at the far end of the table and not distract you.” She agreed. She encouraged me to take my academics more seriously, almost by default. We were together constantly, and she was constantly studying. This second date at the library was the beginning of Karen’s powerful impact on my life. Through these long hours at the library, I learned how she developed this incredible drive, and I became a welcomed distraction for her. After I proved myself on our third library date, I asked her to go sailing with me. Since she was from Newport and loved the water, I figured she would be comfortable on a sailboat. I thought it would be a romantic date, and I was ready to show off my sailing skills. I knew of a spot my dad used to take me to where the water was clear and dolphins could often be seen. She was excited at the prospect and asked, “Should I pick you up in my sailboat, or should we take your dad’s?” Little did I know that she had been sailing since she was a child. She sailed right up to our dock and was surprised to see that I had brought a picnic basket with dinner. “You just scored points, John,” she said as she kissed me on the cheek. We sailed, and I talked endlessly about hoops as if she cared. It seemed as if she did care, for some reason. I had already been captured by her undeniable beauty, but I began to fall for her heart when I finally shut up and said, “I’m sorry, Karen. Tell me your story, starting with how you got your own sailboat.” 18 The Pyramid Principle MEETING THE PERFECT TEAMMATE Karen began, “Well, John, I loved your basketball stories. To answer your question, I’m the oldest of four children. Starting at ten years old, I began to babysit neighborhood kids to make some money of my own. I had to learn how to budget at a young age.” Her smile spread across her face as I said, “You impress me more every meeting.” “Each week, I divide the earnings into spending and savings. Where most kids spend their money on ice cream and movie tickets, I buy my own school clothes.” I interrupted her and said, “I thought you were a Newport kid whose parents gave her a boat.” She replied, “You saw my house. Three tiny little bedrooms where me and my siblings have bunk beds and share one bathroom.” She continued, “When I was fifteen, neighbors were paying me to babysit their kids when they would go away for the weekend. At sixteen I got my first job at a fashion retail boutique named The Wet Seal and saved up enough money to buy this used sailboat.” I said, “Wet Seal sounds like a great college job.” She looked right in my eyes and professed, “I just know that I want more than that, John.” Somehow, I could already see myself giving her a good life. There was a brief silence, and then she looked at me again and asked, “What’s your dream, John Vallely?” I certainly knew the answer, but I thought for a moment before declaring this dream that others had laughed at before. I didn’t know Karen that well yet, but I felt safe declaring, “Playing for Coach Wooden at UCLA.” She looked at me with tenderness and confidently responded, “Let’s get you there!” Based on the Life of John Vallely 19 CHAPTER 2 At the end of our date, she sailed back towards my father’s dock and was ready to drop me off. I asked, “Do you want help docking your boat?” She nodded with a smile and said, “That would be lovely.” As we turned towards the Lido Bridge, I saw that the high tide had left only a small space between the water’s surface and the bottom of the bridge. I said, “You’re going to have to teach me how you fit this eight-foot sail through because it might help me dribble through tight defenders.” She smiled and said, “I think I can help you with your dribbling. Hop out.” I jumped out of the boat, and I watched her lay down the mast, paddle under the bridge, and put the mast back up so we could continue sailing on. She explained, “I don’t have access to a dock, so after song leader practice I pull this from my house in West Newport Beach to the bay on a little hand trailer. Then I leave the boat in the water, tie it up, and run the trailer home so it won’t get stolen. Then I run back and go sailing, so I hope you’re ready to work today.” As we hauled her 230-pound sailing dinghy on its trailer to her house, she was beaming as I yelled, “You’ve got some good power, Karen.” “Song leaders are tougher than you know, Vallely,” she boasted sarcastically. I drove home after dropping her off and was thinking about her work ethic, her love of family, and the strength to pull her own boat every day. I already knew that Karen was special, but that day I realized she was extraordinary. Karen had song leader practice the next day. Her practice ended before mine, so she sat in the bleachers with a textbook and then eventually just watched me practice. As my practice ended, she shouted out, 20 The Pyramid Principle MEETING THE PERFECT TEAMMATE “You’re pretty good, Vallely. Let me rebound another hundred shots for you.” “I’d love that,” I replied and realized that I had taken some good steps since the first library date. She stood under the basket and rebounded my free throws with no words. Just the sound of a swish and the sight of her eyes. Karen performed at all my OCC games, where her presence captured the hearts of the fans and further reminded me to believe in myself. During my freshman year at Orange Coast, I averaged 20.4 points per game, which was an impressive enough statistic to attract attention from some major colleges. Tex Winter, whose “triangle offense” became famous while he was an assistant coach on Michael Jordan’s championship winning Chicago Bulls teams, wanted me to play for him at Washington as did Coach Jerry Tarkanian, the Long Beach State coach who later went on to coach at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Tarkanian was the most creative coach in his recruitment tactic and offered a scholarship to Karen as well. With the thought of Karen and me living in Vegas together, I was ready to accept until Karen said, “You need to wait for your dream, John. Wait for UCLA.” When UCLA started expressing interest in me at the start of my sophomore year, as Karen had predicted, and when a letter came from UCLA assistant Jerry Norman, I was walking on air. Under the legendary Coach John Wooden, UCLA had already established itself as the dominant program in college basketball. The 1964 and 1967 squads had gone undefeated, and the Bruins had won four NCAA Championships and two in a row. He would go on to be named the NCAA College Basketball Coach of the Year six times. ESPN named him the “Greatest Coach of the 20th Century.” The Sporting News called him “The Greatest Coach Ever.” The media named him “The Wizard of Westwood.” He was currently coaching Based on the Life of John Vallely 21 CHAPTER 2 Lew Alcindor, who was known as the greatest college player ever and would later change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Suddenly, there was a piece of mail that came from his office. I was aware that they sent endless letters to potential recruits, but this looked like a real signature from Coach Norman, and that was enough for me. While Coach Wooden’s success on the court was unmatched, his teachings extended far beyond the realm of sports as he wanted to educate on a greater scale than the hardwood. Although UCLA was the most successful program trying to catch my eye, I questioned how I would be able to help them. I wanted to play for a great team, but the operative word was “play.” This was certainly something that I had to consider. My coach, Bob Wetzel, said, “John, I know UCLA is recruiting you, but maybe it would be best to pick the school where you know you can play significant minutes.” I replied, “You know I can shoot, Coach, and they need a shooter to keep defenses from collapsing on Kareem.” He countered, “But because of your size, John, one of the challenges of jumping from junior college to Division One competition will be the transition from being a six-foot two-inch forward to a guard among the taller, faster, and quicker players at the top level. I’m not sure you can do that.” “Well, Coach, how will I ever find out if I’m good enough to play at the highest level at a powerhouse like UCLA if I never even attempt it?” That was the end of the conversation. I knew UCLA would have to see me play. I was scrappy as a small kid, and the toughness I maintained to get my shot off as a freshman in high school stuck with me. Even after I grew and doubters said I couldn’t achieve something, it just made me more eager to try and take risks. I knew I didn’t have the most talent, but 22 The Pyramid Principle MEETING THE PERFECT TEAMMATE I could shoot a jump shot and make it under pressure. When the game was on the line, I was going to take that last shot. Any lingering doubts I might have had about contributing to Coach Wooden’s UCLA team were dispelled when I averaged 25.9 points per game my sophomore year at Orange Coast College. I had convinced myself that I could produce at the next level, and I was confident that I could make a valuable contribution to a team that was already at the height of its power. With a lifelong dream to play at UCLA, you can imagine my joy when on day one of my sophomore season at Orange Coast College the schedule was passed out, and a game versus the UCLA freshman team was highlighted in red letters. Up until 1972, the NCAA would not let freshmen compete in varsity games no matter how dominant they might be. Even majors would schedule games against anyone they could find. With Kareem on the freshman team at UCLA, they easily defeated the UCLA varsity reigning two-time champs 75-60 in an exhibition game. Suddenly, every practice and every drill spent on the court that season was in preparation for that moment at UCLA, in hopes that I might be seen by the legendary Coach John Wooden. I added more shooting, more dribbling, additional speed and agility work in the sand, and a relentless conditioning program. Game day came, and I walked into UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion arena with wide-eyed wonder. It was everything that I imagined it to be in my dreams, except I wasn’t really there yet. The championship banners in the rafters told me all I needed to know. I had to be at my best that day. The song leaders arrived early and were warming up. When Karen saw me enter, she just nodded at me with a look that said, “You got this!” As I began to shoot around, I saw Coach Wooden enter through the tunnel with assistant coach Jerry Norman. They took a court side seat, and I was in awe. With his horned rim glasses, dark suit, Based on the Life of John Vallely 23 CHAPTER 2 and starched white shirt and tie, Coach Wooden resembled a professor that had just come from the classroom to teach life lessons on the court. Coach Norman, who played at UCLA for Coach Wooden ten years earlier, was in his team sweatsuit and appeared as if he could still suit up for the Bruins. Coach Wooden began to watch his team warm up and watch me make fifteen shots in a row from the free throw line. It was as if I was making shots in the alleyway with this dream. The game began. I hit my first shot from deep. I was ready. It was a back-and-forth between myself and UCLA’s Curtis Rowe, and I was in the zone. All the while, I sensed Coach Wooden’s gaze was on me. Although I felt the weight of his critical glare, I relied on the technique that I had worked so tirelessly to perfect. I was grateful to have Karen there as she understood the impact of this moment for me. Yet, in spite of the confidence she gave me, I tried not to make eye contact with her because Coach Wooden might not understand why I was shooting stares at the song leaders. I heard her voice as she shouted, “Nice shot, John! Shoot that again.” I kept shooting. It was a fast-paced game, and I found that my speed work on the beach had prepared me. It was a fierce battle that went to the final seconds. I hit a deep jump shot, and my point guard said, “Good shot, Money Man!” That’s what they started to call me at Orange Coast College. We were only down by two points, with time for one more possession. I knew I could tie the game, but we fouled Curtis and sent him to the free throw line. We lost by four points. It was a tough loss, but to score thirty-five points on UCLA’s highly regarded freshmen was the game I needed. The thrill of the performance was overshadowed by the disappointment I felt, as I walked by Coach Wooden and Coach Norman, who glanced at me but said nothing. I assumed that they were unimpressed or I wasn’t the player they needed. They were the top team in the country, 24 The Pyramid Principle MEETING THE PERFECT TEAMMATE and I should have known that they could easily recruit High School All-Americans. I looked out at Pauley Pavillion for what I thought would be the last time. I took my time to grab my warmup jacket from the bench and paused to listen to the Pep Band play “Hail To Westwood” before rejoining my teammates. With anxious thoughts flying through my head, I shook it off and approached Karen, who shrieked with excitement, “You were amazing, John. You belong on this court!” It helped that this beauty in a song leading uniform noticed me and the work that I put in to get there, but the approval I needed was from Coach Wooden. I boarded the bus and shifted my thoughts back to playing for UNLV. Based on the Life of John Vallely 25