Bill Walton

William Theodore Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is an American former basketball player who is a television sportscaster.

Walton played for John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins, winning three successive 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 NBA Championship in 1977, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award that season. Walton won another NBA title, playing with the Boston Celtics in 1986. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

His early career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) was very successful, winning the 1978 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and an NBA championship with the Portland Trail Blazers, for which he was also named Finals MVP. However, his professional career began to be significantly hampered by multiple foot injuries requiring numerous surgeries. Walton sat out the 1978-79 season and was then signed by the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, for whom he played injury-plagued four seasons. His career was rehabilitated during two seasons with the Boston Celtics at the end of his career. Playing as a back-up center behind Robert Parish, Walton earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in the 1985-86 season, winning his second championship that same season.[1]

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, mostly for ESPN, with stints for several other networks and teams. He earned an Emmy Award in 1991. Walton is a noted fan of the Grateful Dead, as a self described “Deadhead“, who often mentions them in his broadcasts. He has hosted several podcasts and satellite radio programs featuring the music of the Grateful Dead.

Walton was born and raised in La Mesa, California, the son of Gloria Anne (ne Hickey) and William Theodore “Ted” Walton. He was raised with siblings Bruce, Cathy and Andy. The Waltons’ La Mesa home was a hillside home on Colorado Avenue, just below Lake Murray. His listed adult playing height was 6 feet 11 inches; it has been reported that Walton is actually taller (7 feet 2 inches, or more) but does not like being categorized as a seven-footer.[2][3][4]

Walton’s father Ted was a music teacher and social worker and his mother Gloria, a librarian. His parents had interests in art, literature, politics and music. Walton took music lessons, and although his parents were not sports oriented, Walton followed in the footsteps of his older brother Bruce, who had gravitated toward sports. When the Walton children were in junior high and high school, Mr. Walton formed an informal family band: Bruce and Bill played trombone or baritone, Andy played the saxophone and Cathy played the flute. “Bill and I couldn’t quit fast enough,” Bruce said.[5]

Walton first played organized basketball under Frank “Rocky” Graciano, who coached at Walton’s Catholic elementary school. Coach Graciano “made it fun and really emphasized the joy of playing the team game,” said Walton. “I was a skinny, scrawny guy. I stuttered horrendously, couldn’t speak at all. I was a very shy, reserved player and a very shy, reserved person. I found a safe place in life in basketball.”[5]

Walton played high school basketball at Helix High School in La Mesa, California. He played, along with his brother Bruce, who was one year older and 6’6″ and 250 pounds. Bruce was a star football player as well. If Bill Walton was getting physical treatment in a basketball game, Bruce returned the treatment.[6][7]

When those opposing teams would try to get physical with me, Bruce would do whatever it took to protect me, Walton recalled. He went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys. Bruce and I are the only brother combination in history to ever play in the Super Bowl and to win the NBA championship.[6]

“When they would begin to rough up Bill, I would look at coach and he would give me a nod,” recalled Bruce. “Yes,” said Gloria Walton, “then when the referee wasn’t looking, Bruce would give the player an elbow and let him know that the skinny guy was his kid brother.”[8]

Injuries

Walton’s struggle with injury and pain began while at Helix High School, where he broke an ankle, a leg, several bones in his feet and underwent knee surgery.[9]

Before his sophomore season, Walton underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage on his left knee. Because of his recovery from the knee surgery, Walton played most of his sophomore year on the junior varsity team. Coach Gordon Nash promoted him to the varsity team the end of the season. But, he played in only six games and did not start any of them.[8]

After his sophomore year Walton had grown from 6’1″ to 6’7″. Coach Nash played Bill and Bruce Walton together in the paint. Bill was taller, but frail as he had not filled out his growing frame. Bill was unable to play a complete game without resting. “He would simply get too tired,” recalled Nash. “When that happened, he’d tell me and I’d take him out.”[8]

Championships / National records

Walton overcame all obstacles and led Helix to 49 consecutive victories in his two varsity seasons. Helix won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Championship in both 1969 and 1970, finishing 29-2 in 1968-1969 and 33-0 in 1969-1970. Walton had entered high school at a height of about 6 feet tall and graduated at about 7 feet tall. Walton averaged 29 points and 25 rebounds, as Helix finished 33-0 in his senior season.[10][5][11][8]

As a senior in 1969-1970, Walton made 384 of 490 shot attempts, 78.3 percent, still the all-time national record. In addition, Walton’s 825 rebounds that season ranks No 3 all-time. His 25.0 rebounds per game in a season ranks No. 7 all time.[12][13][14]

Walton was featured in Faces in the Crowd in the January 26, 1970 issue of Sports Illustrated, his first national media recognition.[15]

It was a dream come true to be a part of a special team, Walton said. Helix is where it all began. It was a humbling honor and privilege to be on the same squad as true legends Monroe Nash, Wilbur Strong, Phil Edwards, and Bruce Menser. Im the luckiest guy on earth.[10]

Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum was then an assistant coach at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) under coach John Wooden, sent to watch Walton play. Crum first saw Walton in 1968 as a high school junior and was at first dubious when hearing of Walton, but went to scout him anyway. “I came back and told Coach Wooden that this Walton kid was the best high school player I’d ever seen,” Crum recalled.[16]

Gym key / San Diego Rockets

While Walton was in high school, the NBA Expansion team of 1967, the San Diego Rockets were in town. The Rockets had no set practice facility and would often play pick-up games at Helix High School. Rocket players learned that to get into the Helix gym they could call the teenager Walton, who somehow had his own gym key. Walton recalled Elvin Hayes calling and telling his mother, “Tell Billy, Big E is calling and we need him to open the gym tonight. I said, ‘Mom, that’s Big E! Give me the phone!’ I was never so embarrassed in my life. Elvin and I are still close friends. All of those guys all still my friends to this very day.”[17]

“We had the best gym in San Diego and all the Rockets players wanted to go there,” Walton reflected. “They had some great teams with Elvin Hayes and Calvin Murphy and future head coaches and broadcasters such as Pat Riley, Rick Adelman, Rudy Tomjanovich, Jim Barnett and Stu Lantz. All these guys treated me — little Billy — like I was part of the team. They couldn’t have been nicer, and I became their friend.”[17]

1970 USA Basketball

At age 17, just out of high school, in the summer of 1970, Walton was selected to represent USA Basketball on the United States men’s national basketball team at the 1970 FIBA World Championship. The USA team, under coach Hal Fisher, failed to medal in the tournament, coming in a disappointing fifth place. By far the youngest player on the roster, Walton played minimally in five games, averaging 2.6 points.[18]

College career (1970-1974)”] Bill Walton – UCLA

Beginning in elementary and high school, Walton had loyally followed UCLA’s basketball team on the radio. He was recruited by many colleges, but Walton quickly accepted UCLA’s scholarship offer to enroll there and play basketball for the Bruins and Coach Wooden. Wooden would become a lifetime mentor to Walton.[5]

Said Walton of Coach Wooden: “I was John Woodens easiest recruit. I became his worst nightmare. I drove the poor guy to an early grave when he was 99. I had three different periods of my life in my relationship with him: (1) when I was a high school student and he was recruiting me; (2) when I played for him when I was 17 to 21; (3) and then 36 years of being his friend. I had no idea what we had at UCLA. I thought everybody had the same thing: great parents, great schools, great neighborhoods, great colleges, great coaches. Then I joined the NBA. And I realized immediately that I had just absolutely blown this whole deal with John Wooden. And so I spent the rest of my life, first of all, trying to make it up to him; and second of all, no longer consternation into his life.”[19]

Walton played for UCLA under Coach Wooden from 1971 to 1974. His older brother Bruce played football at UCLA, enrolling a year ahead of Bill. Bill Walton led the Bruins to two consecutive 30-0 seasons and the NCAA men’s basketball record 88-game winning streak. The UCLA streak contributed to a personal winning streak that lasted almost five years, in which Walton’s high school, UCLA freshman (freshmen were ineligible for the varsity at that time) and UCLA varsity teams did not lose a game from the middle of his junior year of high school to the middle of his senior year in college.

With Walton, UCLA won the NCAA Championship in 1972 over Florida State and again in 1973 with an 87-66 win over Memphis State in which Walton made 21 of 22 field goal attempts and scored 44 points.

Freshman (1970-1971)

Prior to joining the varsity team, Walton (18.1 ppg, 68.6% field goal accuracy), along with Greg Lee (17.9 ppg) and Keith Wilkes (20.0 ppg), was a member of the 20-0 1970-1971 UCLA freshman team. Freshmen were prohibited by the NCAA from playing varsity at the time.

The Varsity UCLA team, led by seniors Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe and Steve Patterson defeated Villanova in the 1971 NCAA Championship Game for UCLA’s 5th consecutive NCAA title.[20]

After Walton initially refused to cut his hair as an incoming freshman, Coach Wooden told Walton “we’ll miss you.” Walton then rode his bike to a nearby barber.[21]

Sophomore (1971-1972)

The 1971-72 UCLA basketball team had a record of 30-0, winning its games by an average margin of more than 30 points, averaging 94.6 points to opponents’ 64.3. With Walton playing alongside Henry Bibby, Larry Farmer, Wilkes, Lee and Swen Nater, UCLA finished 14-0 in the Pac 8 Conference.[22]

In the 25-team 1972 NCAA Tournament, UCLA defeated Weber State 90-58. They defeated Long Beach State and Coach Jerry Tarkanian in the Western Regional Final 73-57 to reach the Final Four. Playing 20 minutes due to foul trouble, Walton had 4 points and 12 rebounds in the victory over Weber State, taking only one shot. He had 19 points and 11 rebounds against Long Beach State.[22][23]

In the 1972 Final Four, Walton had 33 points and 21 rebounds, on 11 of 13 shooting and 11 of 12 free-throws, against Louisville in the NCAA Semi-Final, as UCLA won 96-77. In the NCAA Championship game, he had 24 points and 20 rebounds in the Bruins’ 81-76 victory over Florida State. Walton was named the 1972 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player.[23]

Overall, in 30 games in 1971-1972, Walton averaged 21.1 points and 15.5 rebounds, shooting 64.0% from the field. He was named 1st Team All-American with Jim Chones Marquette, Bo Lamar Louisiana-Lafayette, Ed Ratleff Long Beach State and Tom Riker South Carolina.[24][25]

Junior (1972-1973)

1973 UCLA yearbook, Southern Campus. 1973 UCLA basketball NCAA champions, Walton in back middle.

UCLA again finished 30-0 overall and 14-0 in the Pac 8 conference in 1972-1973. The Bruins averaged winning by over 20 points, averaging 81.3 points to their opponents’ 60.1.[26]

In the 25-team 1973 NCAA Tournament, UCLA defeated Arizona State 98-81 and then San Francisco in the West Regional Final 54-39 to reach the Final Four. Walton had 28 points and 14 rebounds against Arizona State, on 13 of 18 shooting, and 9 points and 14 rebounds against San Francisco, taking only 7 shots.[27][26]

In the 1973 Final Four, the Bruins Won the National Semifinal 70-59 over Indiana and Coach Bob Knight. Walton had 14 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists against Indiana.[27][26]

1973 championship game performance

In the 1973 NCAA title game against Memphis State, Walton had arguably the best NCAA championship game ever played. On March 26, 1973, at the St. Louis Arena, Walton scored 44 points on near perfect 21 of 22 shooting. He added 13 rebounds, 2 assists and one block, in leading the UCLA Bruins to the championship, their seventh straight. UCLA defeated Coach Gene Bartow and Memphis State with Larry Kenon and Larry Finch 87-66. Walton set the record for most points in an NCAA Championship game that still stands. Walton was named the 1973 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player.[27][27][28][11][29]

Walton was hurt and left the game for the final time, with UCLA leading, 75-62 and 2 minutes 51 seconds remaining. Playing with four personal fouls, Walton fell hard to the floor on a play and injured his left knee and ankle. He then limped off the floor, receiving to an ovation from the 19,301 fans.[30]

“I don’t think anything ever meant as much to me as playing UCLA and one of John Wooden’s best teams for the national championship.” said Coach Gene Bartow in 1993. “We were able to go right through the press.” At halftime, the game was tied 39-39. Bartow added, “I felt very good at halftime, very good. But to win, we also felt we had to control Walton. We couldn’t let him dominate the game. Obviously, we didn’t do a good job of that. Bill Walton probably had one of the best games anybody ever had in the history of college basketball.”[31]

Coach Wooden looked at me and said, Walton, I used to think you were a good player until you missed that one shot, Walton said.

Overall, in 1972-1973, Walton averaged 20.4 points and 16.9 rebounds in 30 games on 65.0% shooting, as UCLA again finished 30-0 and 14-0 in the Pac 8 conference. Walton was named 1st Team All-American Alongside Ernie DiGregorio Providence, Ed Ratleff, Long Beach State, David Thompson North Carolina State and Kermit Washington American.[24][25][22]

Walton’s political personality was alive in his collegiate years on the UCLA campus, “One of the saddest days for Coach Wooden was the day he came down and had to bail me out of jail after I got arrested in the anti-Vietnam protest. He said, ‘Bill, I know you feel very strongly about this, but I just don’t think that you getting arrested and taking part in this demonstration is what it’s all about,” recalled Walton.[11]

“I had no problem with him during the season,” Wooden said of Walton’s college days. “Off the floor I worried. I worried when he was thrown in jail with the group that took over the administration building, I worried when he stopped traffic on Wilshire Boulevard, and when he interrupted classes giving his views on the Vietnam War.”[9]

Senior (1973-1974)

Walton during the 1974 season

In Walton’s senior year, UCLA’s 88-game winning streak ended with a 71-70 loss at Notre Dame on January 19, 1974. Walton played wearing a back brace, as he had suffered a major back injury in a fall against Washington State the week before. He was undercut by a Washington State player and broke two bones in his spine, which remained damaged until corrective surgery in 2009. He missed three games. But, he made 12 of his first 13 shots and the Bruins led Notre Dame by 17 points at halftime. UCLA was leading 70-59 with 3 minutes remaining. However, they were outscored 12-0, missing six consecutive shots with four turnovers. As was his belief, Wooden did not call time-outs late in games and stuck with the strategy. The Irish made six shots in a row, winning on Dwight Clay’s shot with 29 seconds left, as Notre Dame prevailed 71-70.[32][21]

Walton, who missed a 12-foot shot off an in-bounds pass to win the game as time expired, finished with 24 points and nine rebounds. He said of his efforts that day, “A complete failure on all levels, particularly as a human being. A disgrace to the game of basketball, a disgrace to sport.”

Soon after the Notre Dame loss, UCLA dropped consecutive games in consecutive days at Oregon and Oregon State, nicknamed “the Lost Weekend.” “There were so many problems,” Walton said of the losses. “Injuries Team chemistry. It was just a nightmare.” A week later, the Bruins beat the Fighting Irish 94-75 at home.[32][33]

UCLA finished 26-4 and 12-2 in the Pac 8 Conference, with Walton playing alongside Jamal Wilkes, David Myers and Marques Johnson.[34]

In the 25 team 1974 NCAA Tournament, UCLA defeated Dayton 111-100. UCLA next defeated San Francisco 83-60 in the Western Regional Final to reach the Final Four. Walton had 27 points and 19 rebounds against Dayton and 17 points,9 rebounds and 4 assists against San Francisco.[35]

In the 1974 Final Four, UCLA’s record seven consecutive national titles was broken. North Carolina State defeated the Bruins 80-77 in double overtime in the NCAA semi-finals. Walton played 50 minutes and scored 29 points, with 18 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss. The UCLA – North Carolina State game was #13 USA Today‘s list of the greatest NCAA tournament games of all time. Walton called the game the most disappointing outcome of his entire basketball career, as UCLA had a 5-point lead late in regulation and a 7-point lead in the 2nd overtime, before NC State with David Thompson rallied to win, 80-77.[36][35]

“David Thompson’s a great champion. He is a wonderful person and a very special human being,” Walton said. “He was really fun to play against. He was a dynamic big moment guy, and I just wish I could have risen to the occasion.”[33]

“That failure has plagued me, and will, it is a stigma on my soul, and there’s no way I can get rid of it.” Walton said of the loss, “We could have, we should have won them all, and we didn’t get it done. And when you’re in that position, it’s the worst feeling in the world. That’s the timelessness of pain and suffering; the agonizing, the reflection and the endless questioning of yourself. When you’re right there and it’s there for you and the whole world is watching, and it’s recorded as history that can never be changed, that is a terribly heavy burden.”[33]

UCLA had to come back and play in the NCAA 3rd place game, in which they eventually defeated Kansas. “I didn’t want to play and I told Coach Wooden that. We had a bitter argument over that, and I lost that argument, too,” said Walton, who took only three shots as UCLA had a 78-61 win. He played 20 minutes in his last game for UCLA and Coach Wooden. “Twenty minutes too much,” he said.[33]

Overall, as a senior, Walton averaged 19.3 points, 14.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists.[34] He was named 1st Team All-American alongside Marvin Barnes Providence, John Shumate Notre Dame, David Thompson, North Carolina State and Jamaal WilkesUCLA.[24][25]

College totals

Bill Walton – UCLA, 1974

In his 87 career games at UCLA, Walton shot 65.1% from the field, averaging 20.3 points, 15.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. UCLA was 86-4 in Walton’s three seasons.[24]

Walton was the 1973 recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. Walton also received the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year as the top college basketball player in 1972, 1973 and 1974. He earned Academic All-American honors in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Some college basketball historians rate Walton as the greatest who ever played at the college level.[37]

Walton left UCLA and began a new life in professional basketball and began a lifetime friendship with Coach Wooden. “Coach Wooden never talked about winning and losing, but rather about the effort to win. He rarely talked about basketball, but generally about life. He never talked about strategy, statistics or plays, but rather about people and character. Coach Wooden never tired of telling us that once you become a good person, then you have a chance of becoming a good basketball player.”[38]

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