Paul Hornung
American football player (1935-2020)
Bill Walton was an American basketball legend who dominated the college game with UCLA and won an NBA championship with the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite a storied career, he was plagued by foot injuries that cut his NBA career short. After retiring, Walton found success as a sportscaster and Grateful Dead enthusiast.
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About the Bill Walton
William Theodore Walton IIIwas an American professional basketball player and television sportscaster. He played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angelesand in the National Basketball Associationfor the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Walton rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the starting center for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins. The 6-foot-11-inchWalton won three consecutive national college player of the year awards (1972-1974), while leading UCLA to NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973 and an 88-game winning streak. After being selected as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA draft, Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to the team’s first NBA championship in 1977, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. The following season, Walton was the 1978 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Walton’s professional career, however, was significantly hampered by foot injuries, requiring numerous surgeries (Walton underwent 37 orthopedic surgeries in his lifetime). Walton played in 468 out of 1,148 regular season games across his 14-year NBA career. After his MVP season, Walton sat out the 1978-79 season and was then signed by the Clippers, for whom he played four injury-plagued seasons. His career was rehabilitated during two seasons with the Celtics at the end of his career. Playing as a backup center behind Robert Parish, Walton earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in the 1985-86 season, winning his second NBA championship. He was named to the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
After retiring from the NBA, Walton overcame stuttering and embarked on a second career as a sportscaster, working both as a studio analyst and color commentator with several networks and teams. He earned an Emmy Award in 1991. Walton was a fan of the Grateful Dead, as a self-described “Deadhead”, and often mentioned them in his broadcasts. He hosted several podcasts and satellite radio programs featuring the music of the Grateful Dead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bill Walton was an American professional basketball player who played in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. He was a dominant center in college, winning two NCAA championships with UCLA.
Bill Walton won three consecutive national college player of the year awards from 1972-1974 while leading the UCLA Bruins to NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973, and an 88-game winning streak.
Bill Walton’s professional career was significantly hampered by foot injuries, requiring numerous surgeries. He played in only 468 out of 1,148 regular season games across his 14-year NBA career, but he did lead the Portland Trail Blazers to their first NBA championship in 1977 and was named the NBA MVP in 1978.
After retiring from the NBA, Bill Walton overcame stuttering and embarked on a second career as a sportscaster, working as a studio analyst and color commentator. He also became a fan of the Grateful Dead and hosted several podcasts and satellite radio programs featuring their music.
Bill Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. He was also named to the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
Bill Walton underwent 37 orthopedic surgeries in his lifetime due to the foot injuries that significantly hampered his professional basketball career.
Bill Walton won his second NBA championship as a backup center for the Boston Celtics in the 1985-86 season, where he earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
10 Quotes by Bill Walton
- 1.
At 49, I can say something I never would have said when I was a player, that I’m a better person because of my failures and disgraces.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 2.
Without question, no hesitation, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the best player I ever played against.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 3.
A lot of people understand what not saying anything means, so, in effect, not saying anything is really saying a lot.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 4.
Life is about growth. People are not perfect when they’re 21 years old.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 5.
Well, we’ve made some changes on this tour. We’re no longer sleeping in the parking lots and swimming in the fountains. We’ve been staying in hotels most of the way, though I will say some hotels have declined to take us because we’re just having too much fun.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 6.
Bill Russell was my favorite player of all-time.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 7.
I had the only beard in the Western Hemisphere that made Bob Dylan’s look good.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 8.
I don’t sleep much. I’m on the go. My mind is racing. My wife says my mind is like the rolling dials on a slot machine. So, yeah, I think about everything.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 9.
That’s what makes it so fun to be on a team. You’re sitting at your house, thinking up this wild, crazy stuff as to how it’s going to go, and the other guys are sitting at their houses doing the same thing.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)
- 10.
But you have to understand, my beard is so nasty. I mean, it’s the only beard in the history of Western civilization that makes Bob Dylan’s beard look good.
Bill WaltonAmerican basketball player and sportscaster (1952-2024)