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Los Angeles, California Editor's Note:
The UCLA Dynasty debuts Monday, March 26 at 10 p.m. EST on HBO When Ross Greenberg, President of HBO Sports, called up producer/editor George Roy with the bright idea of an hour documentary on the most incredible dynasty in the history of sports – UCLA's run of 10 national basketball championships in 12 years – surely Mr. Roy was both tempted and nervous. The task was both a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and seemingly impossible. Just to make things interesting, Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Roy figured that the story would be even more remarkable if told within the complex context of the tumultuous social upheaval of the1960s and 1970s. Could it be done honestly about the times, the tensions, and the unbelievably great teams that set records that will never be broken? Was there a way to communicate the unique teamwork that was the fabric of this artistic tapestry woven together by John Wooden, the greatest coach of all time, at any level, in any sport?  John Wooden was the chief architect of the UCLA dynasty. As a member of three of those championship teams (1970-1972), a fan of UCLA basketball since my early teens when my heroes were Gail Goodrich and Walt Hazzard, and a former entertainment executive who had made hundreds of hours of television, I was more than a little bit concerned that the task that Mr. Roy had undertaken was not possible. At the very least, Mr. Roy would need a few hours of air time to pull it off. I was wrong. Ross Greenberg and George Roy created what I thought was impossible. The footage is remarkable, the imagery and the editing are superb, the music rocks, and the 60s and 70s come back to life in a way that is guaranteed to provoke flashbacks and tears for anyone who lived through that remarkable era. There are fantastic interviews with bright and engaging former players and coaches like Lucius Allen, Ken Heitz, Fred Slaughter, John Vallely, Jamaal Wilkes, Larry Farmer, Sidney Wicks, Gary Cunningham, Jerry Norman, Gail Goodrich, Henry Bibby, and some I'm sure I've forgotten to mention. Of course, Bill Walton is incredibly entertaining and articulate, and if there is a star of the show, it's Bill. UCLA alums like The Doors' keyboardist Ray Manzarek, actor Beau Bridges, and television personality Judge Joe Brown, add their own memories of how the Bruins played to a rhythm all their own.
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