"what you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player."

John Wooden

What John wooden means by what you are as a person is more important that what you are as a basketball player means that what you do and how you act is what makes you the person that you are not the fact that you play basketball player. It means that no matter how good you are at basketball it does not describe who you are as a person in real life. And as you live your life you will be well experienced with that knowledge that you need to be a good person in life.If you're considered a very good basketball player, that will be your label. But once you do something you're not supposed to people will criticize you. The label you were given "very good basketball player" will be removed and all people will remember it as the negative action you committed. So that is why your character is more important than your "skills".