"What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player." by John Wooden

In my belifs I think John Wooden is tring to say that since people knew he was a basketball player and a coach, that is the only way his fans know him. In other words he is trying to say that he wants people to know him by his personality and the way he is. Some famous people are taken for granted because they are famous, and maybe that is why he came up with a quote like this so that people will get to know the famous my the way they are. 

This picture above sort of represents what he is trying to say, as in sometimes people expect great from big successful people, and expect little from regular people.