Bruin hall of famers share their "big UCLA moment"

"My Big UCLA Moment"

In UCLA's groundbreaking new Pac-10/NCAA TV spots, six Bruin Hall of Famers — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gary Beban, Dot Richardson, Anita Ortega, Cormac Carney and Jose Lopez — share their personal UCLA moments.

Westwood boasts an unrivaled legacy of great athletes who have excelled in professional areas beyond the world of sports. They are the living embodiment of Bruin excellence, which is not just a goal at UCLA. It's a cultural trait.

That's why for these video spots, we decided to do without the stats and the rankings you usually see and hear in institutional spots. The personal stories of the alumni we feature help define who we are as a university.

For example, Abdul-Jabbar's big moment has nothing to do with basketball. Heisman Trophy-winner Beban recalls a lesson about punctuality that he has carried with him throughout his business career. And Dr. Richardson's big moment came in a chemistry class, not on the softball field where she won an Olympic Gold Medal.

Los Angeles Police Department Captain and Bruin basketball star Ortega, federal judge and football star Carney, and soccer standout and veteran teacher Lopez also offer their big UCLA moments.

We enlisted some famous Bruins behind the scenes as well. The spots were directed by Brent Thomas '68, the co-creator of Apple's iconic “1984” Super Bowl spot. And radio spots accompanying the TV effort are narrated by former Bruin quarterback Mark Harmon '74, star of the CBS hit NCIS.

We hope you like watching and hearing these messages as much as we liked creating them.