Game of the Century

John Wooden's account of the UCLA vs. Houston in the Astrodome. Many think it was the game that changed college basketball and TV.

"They called it the Game of the Century- January 20, 1968. It was played in the vast Houston Astrodome. I didn't like the idea because I thought the size of it all turned the event into a show business spectacle. It wasn't up to me to decide, however. UCLA was ranked #1; Houston #2. We lost, in part because Houston's Elvin Hayes played very well, in part because Lewis Alcindor had severely limited vision in his left eye because of an injury. He made no complaint. Lewis did, however, tape the cover of Sports Illustrated to his locker. (Cover showed Hayes scoring over Alcindor)  Eight weeks later we faced Houston in the semifinals of March Madness. The Bruins outscored Houston 101-69. Lewis' left eye was back to normal. I considered us successful in both games."
- John Wooden