MoeDee Basketball

Coaches, players and teachers of the game that have influenced the style and passion that Coach Moe brings to his student athletes in every session and game.

John Wooden’s UCLA teams scaled unmatched heights that no future organization in any sport is likely to approach. Under Wooden’s masterful guidance, the Bruins set all-time records including four perfect 30-0 seasons, 88 consecutive victories, 38 straight NCAA tournament victories, and ten national championships, including seven in a row.

Wooden’s famous Pyramid of Success shows the influence of his mentor from his days at Purdue, Hall of Fame coach Ward Lambert. The Pyramid’s principles are the basis of Wooden’s outlook on life and explain much of his success on and off the court. Whatever the measure, John Wooden was one of the greatest coaches in history.

Bob Knight is a legend among coaches. His teams performed much like him – disciplined, tough, smart, focused, and tenacious. His success was based partly on his ability to instill quality fundamentals in his players. His motion offense demanded a firm grasp of some of the game’s most basic ideas. Knight's hard-nosed approach reaped huge benefits including 11 Big Ten Conference titles, five Final Fours, and a 32-0 undefeated season in 1976.

Changing the nature of play from run-and-gun to ball control, he turned Big Ten games into intense and hard-fought affairs. In 1984, Knight became one of only three coaches to win the triple crown with an NCAA title, an NIT title, and an Olympic gold medal. Knight was intense at all times and demanded nothing less than all-out effort from his players.

Few players in history exhibited as much enthusiasm for basketball or displayed such an engaging personality both on and off the court as Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Magic's incredible passion, coupled with his amazing skills, dazzled generations of fans and turned basketball into "Showtime." At 6-foot-9, Johnson was a point guard in a power forward's body. No player Johnson's size had ever done what he could do with a basketball and his incredible talents resulted in a national championship at Michigan State and five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Magic redefined the sphere of traditional position play because he excelled at every phase of the game. ollowing his star-studded scholastic career at Lansing Everett High School and All-America career at Michigan State, Johnson became an immediate NBA superstar, becoming a 12-time All Star, a two-time All Star Game MVP, and nine-time All-NBA First Team honoree.

Isiah Thomas ranks as one of the best small guards in basketball history. At only 6-foot-1, Thomas was known for his ability to attack the basket without fear against any opponent, big or small. He played the game with a certain amount of flair, and never shied away from the game’s biggest moments. His calm, collected demeanor masked an intense desire to win. And winning became his calling card.

An All-America at Indiana University, Thomas led the Hoosiers to a 47-17 record and a national championship in only two seasons. Thomas then brought prominence back to Detroit, making the NBA Pistons one of the league’s elite teams. He led the Pistons to consecutive championships in 1989 and 1990 and was named MVP of the Finals in 1990. The undisputed leader of the “Bad Boys,” he played in 12 All Star games and was named MVP in 1984 and 1986.