Swen Nater won two NCAA Championships as a basketball player for the legendary John Wooden at UCLA. He would become the first player to ever be a NBA first round draft choice despite never starting a college game. During the 1973-74 season, Swen would earn ABA Rookie of the Year status. He would go on to play professional basketball for 12 years for the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Spurs, and Nets. He is the only player in basketball history to lead the ABA and the NBA in rebounding. At the 2004 NBA All-Star game, he was officially named "Mr. Clipper". After retiring as a player, he would go on to help start the Christian Heritage athletic department and lead the men's basketball team to a National Championship. Today, he is a highly sought-after motivational speaker and executive of a Fortune 500 company.
In today’s episode, we discuss:- His unbelievable story of going from an orphanage to finding his parents on an American TV show.
- Playing for the legendary coach John Wooden
- What made him such a great rebounder
- The journey of not playing basketball in high school to being a bench player in college to being selected as a first-round draft pick in the NBA
- ... and so much more!!!
Website: SwenNater.me
Twitter: @SwenNater1
Books by Swen Nater . . .
- You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned by Swen Nater
- John Wooden’s UCLA Offense by Swen Nater
- The Complete Handbook of Rebounding Fundamentals & Skills by Swen Nater
- Playing Big by Swen Nater & Pete Newell
Articles of Interest . . .
- Then and now -- Swen Nater; Big Man Loved the Game, Then Learned to Play It
- Looking him up : Swen Nater Is a Lifetime Rebounder With Valuable Lessons to Pass On
- Swen Nater is a rebounding force
- What a long, strange trip it's been, Swen (ESPN article by Bill Walton)
Past "Success is a Choice" podcast episodes of interest . . .
- Heather Macy (College Basketball Coach) – Episode 123
- Kevin Eastman (Former NBA Coach & Executive) - Episode 121
- Dan Hughes (2018 WNBA Coach of the Year) - Episode 120
- Bob Wilson (former Vanguard A.D.) - Episode 114
- Sue Enquist (Hall of Fame Softball Coach) – Episode 077
- Alicia Jessop (Founder of Ruling Sports and Professor) – Episode 042
- Dwane Casey (2018 NBA Coach of the Year) - Episode 001
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