By Nyang’au Araka
It is said that a good picture is worth a thousand words, but what if the images are two or more, and are complimentary?
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This is the question that pops up when one looks at a collage that has been circulating online, comprising of two images taken several years apart.
The collage is captioned: “The impact of a teacher lasts a life time, #teachergoals.”
One of the undated pictures shows retired professional basket baller Kareem Abdul Jabar as a student with his coach, the late John Wooden, at the University of California, Los Angeles-USA.
Jabar stands on the basketball court, his limbs full of raw potential, eyes focused with the kind of determination only youth can have.
He is remarkably tall and literally dwarfs his coach as he keenly takes instructions from him.
The coach is proudly giving a guiding gaze and encouragement with every word that he speaks while gesticulating.
The energy in the moment is electric—the promise of greatness hanging in the air.
The picture sums up the birth of the court whence dreams are born and a mentor’s belief in a student’s ability becomes the fuel for future success.
The black and white photo speaks directly to the heart, allowing the viewer to interpret its depth through a silent language that surpasses the confines of spoken or written words.
The second image expresses a different kind of strength, one moderated by time and experience.
The professional basketball player, now a symbol of achievement, walks as he holds his teacher’s hand.
Wooden has aged and weakened, yet the connection between the two carries weight, and one would think they are father and son.
The once-active teacher now leans on a cane, but the power of this image is indisputable—what started on a humble court has now blossomed into a life of accomplishment, and the teacher’s influence is clear.
Their meeting is no longer just a teacher-student reunion, but a profound moment of gratitude and respect.
In the picture, Jabar becomes the reflection of the teacher’s belief, and the bond between them is eternal, transcending the ravages of time.
The writer of this story first saw the pictures on Kenya Literary Scholars (a Whatsapp group that brings together Kenyan dons, writers and enthusiasts in the literature space together.
“I’m writing this significantly alive to the fact that some teachers were so mean to us. I don’t want to mention their names for some are deceased,” wrote Gichaba Nyantino, one of the country’s finest authors.
“Most of my teachers were great. But I too remember one at Kisii Primary School in Kisii town who terrified and almost ruined me!”
-Gichaba Nyantino
Nyantino recalls that he was not such a smart pupil but hovered at above average or there about, “but never lost sight of the road that stretched into the future.”
He adds that most teachers were remarkably strict and a law unto themselves; while others really loved their job and implanted positive memories in their leaners.
Nyantino then refers to the collage and writes, “My eyes get misty every time I see this picture, how just amazing mentorship of young people is.”
The picture reminds him with gratitude and love of all the teachers and mentors who have positively impacted his life and promises to do the same to others.
“My late dad was an amazing, thorough no nonsense man. He taught me English language in high school. He touched and formed and mentored many students,” Nyantino, who now teaches far from Kenya says.
“He left extremely huge shoes and we, his progeny are still struggling to grow in them. May be when the mighty clock of time points that hour, we shall measure up, if only just.”
The pictures and Nyantino’s remarks elicited interesting disclosures that some of the members were unaware of.
“That’s Kareem Abdul Jabar with his basketball coach, John Wooden, at the University of California, Los Angeles, my alma mater,” wrote Professor Peter Amuka.
“When I joined the campus, he was a professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers.”
-Prof. Peter Amuka
Prof Amuka recalled that Jabar was famous for the hook shot.
“I watched him live for some 4 years. He spoke very little to the media but was very humorous,” the professor wrote.
At 7 feet, he was certainly very tall but when he played against Manute Bol at 7’8, he said, “for the first time I learnt what it means to be short…” wrote Prof Amuka.
Considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time, Jabbar amassed 6 National Basketball Association (NBA) awards, according to information on his official website.
He also made 19 All-Star appearances, and the most points ever scored in an NBA career, all on the way to the Hall of Fame.
One of Jabbar’s notable quotes is, “I can do more than stuff a ball through a hoop; my greatest asset is my mind.”
Since Kareem left the NBA, he has become a New York Times best-selling author of 17 books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
This is the US’s highest civilian honor, given to him by then-president Barack Obama.
Meanwhile, online information reveals that Wooden, who died in 2010, aged 100, was an American basketball coach and player nicknamed “the Wizard of Westwood”.
He won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships, among other recognitions.
Wooden was renowned for his short, simple inspirational messages to his players (including his “Pyramid of Success”) many of which were directed at how to be a success in life as well as in basketball.
