Lords of the Rings Get Together for a Visit

Visiting John Wooden at his Encino condominium recently were Phil Jackson and Tex Winter. That’s a lot of coaching experience in one room. Winter alone spent 57 consecutive seasons coaching.

And for those keeping score, Wooden won 10 NCAA basketball championships at UCLA and Jackson and Winter teamed up to win nine NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and the Lakers.

Trivia time: What was Wooden’s record at Pauley Pavilion?

Another winner: The day after having Jackson and Winter over for a visit, Wooden was on the USC campus to speak to more than 200 students in Jeff Fellenzer’s “Sports, Business and Media” class. At a pre-class reception, he was greeted by USC football Coach Pete Carroll.

Carroll, who credits Wooden’s writings with having a profound effect on his career, said, “I felt blessed just to have spent time with him.”

Reaching new heights: One of the biggest moments in UCLA history took place 40 years ago this month. At a news conference held in the gymnasium at New York’s Power Memorial High, 7-foot-1 Lew Alcindor, who changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, announced he would attend UCLA.

Robert Lipsyte of the New York Times reported that Alcindor, who had never spoken publicly before, handled himself well.

Wrote Lipsyte: “He never lost his composure, even when someone seriously asked him if there were any liabilities in being tall in basketball. ‘None that I can think of,’ Alcindor said.”

No tread locks: In February, the Detroit Pistons’ Richard Hamilton, after making a deal with Goodyear, wore his hair in the style of a particular tire tread for three games. His head could have used more traction the other night when a ball bounced off it and went back up through the rim, which disallowed the basket.

Left holding the cake: William “the Refrigerator” Perry was no match for 135-pound Richard Leferve in a birthday cake eating contest in New York this week. Leferve, 62, of Henderson, Nev., devoured a five-pound cake in 11 minutes 26 seconds. Perry ate less than a quarter of the cake and finished last among 10 competitors.

Looking back: On this day in 1955, Sam “Toothpick” Jones of the Chicago Cubs got a no-hitter in an unusual manner. In the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jones walked the first three batters, then struck out the next three to preserve a 4-0 shutout.

Trivia answer: 149-2. Both of the losses were to Bob Boyd-coached USC teams -- 46-44 in a “stall game” in 1969 and 87-86 in 1970.

And finally: Actor Will Ferrell, who grew up in Southern California, was asked by Dan Patrick on ESPN Radio to name his favorite L.A. baseball team.

Said Ferrell: “The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Orange County, California of the Western Region of the United States of North America.”

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.