As the most storied program in College basketball prepares for its first season in the Big Ten. We take a look back at the history of UCLA basketball. From all the championships to the legendary figures of the game, the Bruins have accomplished much in their long history. To think it wouldn’t have all gotten started without a Purdue Boilermaker in John Wooden. Once he arrived in Los Angeles, the Bruins didn’t look back. UCLA’s 11 NCAA Championships have been untouched in the men’s game.
Sure after Wooden’s 10 Championships, things got pretty bumpy in terms of National success. Nevertheless, the Bruins have remained one of the biggest programs in College basketball, and the names of historic players to play at the historic Pauley Pavilion are limitless. It’s time to look closer at the All-Time UCLA basketball starting lineup. Trust me it wasn’t an easy choice, there isn’t a player you could go wrong for this team.
UCLA Basketball: Bruins All-Time Starting Lineup
Guard: Gail Goodrich
Coach Wooden was looking for a promising point guard in 1961 when he stumbled on Gail Goodrich. Goodrich was the son of a former USC Trojan and had his eyes set on attending the Bruins rival. Still, that didn’t stop Wooden from bringing Goodrich’s talents to UCLA. Wooden wasn’t afraid of the guard’s 5-foot-8 height when he was a junior in high school. That sure paid off for both parties. Gail quickly became a star for the Bruins and eventually shot up to 6-foot-1. He left as the all-time leading scorer for UCLA with 1,691 points.
Goodrich was the leader for the Bruins’s first two National Championships in 1964 and 1965, and he helped carve the path for many more championships to come. Not only was he a Consensus First Team All-American in 1965, but Goodrich also took home the National Player of the Year Award. He also scored 42 points in the National Championship Game, which would be broken several years later by another Bruin great. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer went on to have a stellar pro career, as he hitched on with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won a Championship with the team in 1972 and was also a five-time NBA All-Star. Much like his No. 25 hangs in Pauley Pavillion, his Laker No. 25 jersey is also retired. Goodrich remains one of the best to ever play the point guard at UCLA.
Guard: Reggie Miller
When you think shooter, Reggie Miller fills all the requirements. Miller comes from a very athletic family, so it was natural that he would turn into something special himself. He certainly did after an ugly freshman season in LA. Miller quickly turned it around in his final three seasons at UCLA, where he was a double-digit scorer, while also averaging four-plus rebounds per game. During his sophomore season in 1984-85, Miller helped guide the Bruins to an NIT Championship, as UCLA certainly was far from its heyday during the Wooden Era.
Regardless, Miller was a very productive player and was quickly turning into a phenom when it came to his three-point shooting. Once it was fully installed during his senior season, Miller showcased it with 69 of his 247 made shots that season coming from beyond the arc. It set him up for what his NBA career was going to be. Miller left UCLA with 2,095 career points. Reggie was the 11th overall pick in 1987 by the Indiana Pacers. His selection was a match made in heaven as he spent his whole 18-year career with the team, making him the Pacers’ first-ever franchise player. His three-point shooting only grew as he ended his career as the all-time three-point shotmaker when his career was finished in 2005. He has since only been passed by Ray Allen and Stephen Curry.
Miller’s No. 31 won’t soon be forgotten in UCLA or Indiana Pacers history.
Forward: Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal “Silk” Wilkes was ready for the big-time when he arrived on the UCLA campus during the 1970s. Wilkes was already quite popular in the Santa Barbara area of California. He was part of the Bruins during a very historic time. Wilkes played for UCLA during the golden age of College basketball when stars were coming on. It just so happened that most played for the Bruins. Wilkes helped mastermind a very historic run, as UCLA won both the 1972 and 1973 National Championships, and followed it up with a third-place finish in 1974. It was during that time, the Bruins won 88 consecutive games.
Those runs to the two-straight championships, also saw Wilkes gain notoriety nationally, as he was a Consensus First-Team All-American in 1972 and 1973. His No. 52 quickly became the face of UCLA basketball alongside the likes of Goodrich’s No. 25 during the previous decade. After such an outstanding college career, Wilkes took his talent to the NBA. His championship pedigree continued at that level, as he won four NBA Championships. His first coming with the Golden State Warriors in 1975. Before joining the Lakers to win three more in 1980, 82 and 85. Alongside other Bruin greats, his number was officially retired by the school in 2013. Wilkes was just another great who happened to play for both UCLA and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Forward: Bill Walton
Wilkes wasn’t alone during that 1972-1874 88-game winning streak. He had quite a large human being right by his side. Bill Walton was a larger-than-life player and character. Wooden once again found a giant as Walton quickly became the face of college basketball. The 6-foot-11 center was the centerpiece as the Bruins won both the 1972 and 73 NCAA Championships. While Wilkes was fortunate to win two All-American honors, Walton took the cake, earning Consensus All-American all three years. Plus he was the National Player of the Year three-consecutive seasons, which hasn’t been matched since.
Bill just won basketball period, he played in 89 career games and won 88 of them. Walton left UCLA with over 1,700 points and 1,300 rebounds. His outstanding collegiate career led to his selection as the 1st overall pick in 1974 by the Portland Trail Blazers. He helped win the franchise’s only NBA Championship in 1977. After four seasons in Portland, he went back to the LA area with the Clippers. Walton refurbished his career with the legendary Boston Celtics and won his second NBA Championship in 1986. Walton hung it up in 1988, but still meant so much to the game. Bill went into Television and his voice and unorthodox commentary were special. Sadly No. 32 was called home just earlier this year. You will never be forgotten, Bill.
Forward: Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
Talk about larger than life, UCLA struck gold in the late 1960’s when they were able to find arguably the greatest player of all time in basketball. Lew Alcindor (better known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) was a 7-foot-2 tough player. His name was breaking down doors, even in high school, as he scored a New York state record of 2,067 points. He could have easily gone right to the pros, doing that and especially given his size, but at the time he couldn’t so, he took his talent from New York, all the way to Los Angeles.
He couldn’t play varsity as a freshman so, he just put in the work with another future UCLA great guard Lucius Allen. Both would quickly become a key paring for what was to come during Alcidor’s rise. Once the 1966-67 season began, Alcindor was ready for the big time as he came out and scored 52 points in his first game. That certainly showcased what he was about to become at both the collegiate and professional levels. No. 33 was quickly becoming beyond the term superstar. Alcindor was a three-time NCAA Champion and a three-time National Player of the Year. He scored 2,325 points at UCLA, along with 1,367 rebounds.
It didn’t stop there, as he carried on his legacy to the NBA first with the Milwaukee Bucks, as he quickly became the face of the NBA winning the 1971 NBA Championship. He was a Buck until 1975 when LA came calling again, and with that, the newly fashioned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went on to win five more championships and left the NBA in 1989 as the all-time leading scorer with 38,387. A record that stood until LeBron James passed him during the 2022-23 season. Jabbar remains the greatest to ever play for UCLA for good reason.
See Previous All-Time Big Ten Teams Below:
