Talent Is Godgiven Be Humble Fame

This three-part aphorism appears in They Call Me Coach (1972) and became one of Wooden's most widely quoted formulations. It encapsulates his view of character as a practice of right proportion: gratitude for natural gifts, thankfulness for external recognition, and wariness of self-congratulation, which he saw as the beginning of decline. Wooden applied it not only to his athletes but to himself, consistently deflecting personal credit for UCLA's success toward his players and assistant coaches.