I’m very sorry for your loss.
My brother, a UCLA alum with a minor connection with Coach John Wooden, was alone with Wooden at his house back in 2001. The phone rang and Wooden let it go to VM. It was Bill Walton. Wooden said that “he calls all the time”.
My brother had RSVP’d to an event on March 8, a Transition Game With Bill Walton and Andy Hill, and it got postponed. We’re guessing it was due to Walton’s failing health. A guess.
My first knowledge of Bill Walton came in the early 80s from David Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game, a book I must’ve picked up on a lark because I had no interest in basketball. But that did turn me into a basketball fan (and more specifically a Celtics fan) when Walton joined them, because I was rooting for the guy with glass feet to have one more great run.
He was entertaining to listen to, and somehow managed to talk a lot and share his endless opinions without sounding like a raging egotist. RIP.
Sharing a link to the book because they excerpt the first chapter, and it’s such great writing.
I just learned this bit of info:
Bill Walton had an older brother named Bruce who played football at UCLA at offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Cowboys and played 3 seasons primarily in a backup role before he retired due to injury. He played in Super Bowl X, and he and Bill are the only brother combination to appear in a Super Bowl and NBA Finals. Bruce passed away in 2019.
Appreciated.
I lost contact with Bill a while back. Couldn’t figure out why but just assumed he was really busy. Now it makes more sense.
As a person who lives in England and formerly New Yorker, I recall before a Dead Show at MSG my friend Al pointing out a really tall guy in a tie-dye chatting with like 1f people.
“That’s Bill Walton!”
“Who?”
“Great basketball player with Boston. He’s a huge Deadead!”
From then it was easy to spot him, even pretty high (heh) up at Giants Stadium and he’s on the floor.
Years later on an “Airplaine!” reweatch when then pesky kid gets to Kareem, he
[as “Roger Murdock” ]replies:
Joey : And that you don’t really try… except during the playoffs.
Roger Murdock : [breaking character] The hell I don’t! LISTEN, KID! I’ve been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I’m out there busting my buns every night! Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!