The speed of the Internet proved wrong again when some news outlets prematurely reported the death of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.

While Wooden is described as “gravely ill” in a Los Angeles hospital at age 99, several news outlets, including The Washington Post, wrongly reported his death.

The Post has put up a photo gallery of college basketball's winningest championship coach with an initial headline that he had died. That gallery is still up, but with a note stating: “This gallery was incorrectly published with a headline saying that John Wooden had died. He is in the hospital, according to several published reports.”

The Internet and Twitter also had various false reports of the coach's demise.

“It turns out, however, that as those reports surfaced, officials said that Mr. Wooden was still alive, although he was in 'grave condition' at U.C.L.A. Medical Center,” added The New York Times. “Marc Dellins, director of sports information, confirmed Mr. Wooden's deteriorating condition, but on the wishes of the coach's family, he would not comment further. KLTA-TV in Los Angeles reported that Mr. Wooden had not eaten in the past few days and was very ill.

”Nevertheless, the reports of of Mr. Wooden's demise burned across the Internet. His Wikipedia page was edited by users more than 10 times in 10 minutes (and then was finally restricted to editing by administrators only), and the conflicting accounts of his condition prompted remembrances, memorials, and no small degree of confusion, particularly on Twitter."

Another reminder to news outlets to check the facts.