Cancel
CreatorsPublishersAdvertisers

Bill Walton

avatar
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. 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.
Expandarrow_down
Born
1952-11-05
Birth Place
La_Mesa,_California
Nationality
American
Height
2.1082
Education
UCLA_Bruins_men's_basketball
Expandarrow_down
NBAPosted by
Sportscasting

Joel Embiid Is Following the Same Career Path as Hall of Fame Center Bill Walton

For the third time in four postseasons, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will miss at least one game due to injury. Embiid will not play in Game 5 of Philadelphia’s series with the Washington Wizards with a torn meniscus in his right knee. His status is unknown beyond Game 5. But it’s another health-related speed bump in a career that has been replete with them. It’s not unfair to compare Embiid with another massively talented but immensely fragile big man, Hall of Famer Bill Walton.
Picture for Joel Embiid Is Following the Same Career Path as Hall of Fame Center Bill Walton
JobsPosted by
The Press

Bill Walton walks the solar talk, having powered his home and electric vehicles for years with rooftop solar power.

NBA Hall of Fame Center and Solar Evangelist Bill Walton Joining the Fight to Save Solar in California from the Utility Profit Grab. SAN DIEGO, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Walton, iconic NBA legend, broadcaster, and current Solar Evangelist for San Diego-based Stellar Solar -- has teamed up with the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) and a growing coalition of solar consumers and environmentalists to staunchly oppose AB 1139 (Gonzalez). Their joint efforts will bolster the fight against the utility-backed legislation that would kill the residential and commercial rooftop solar industry in California and the 65,000+ jobs that go with it.
Picture for Bill Walton walks the solar talk, having powered his home and electric vehicles for years with rooftop solar power.
RELATED CHANNELS
News Break
Sports
News Break
Basketball
News Break
NBA
NBAPosted by
The Press

NBA Hall of Fame Center and Solar Evangelist Bill Walton Joining the Fight to Save Solar in California from the Utility Profit Grab

SAN DIEGO, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Walton, iconic NBA legend, broadcaster, and current Solar Evangelist for San Diego-based Stellar Solar -- has teamed up with the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) and a growing coalition of solar consumers and environmentalists to staunchly oppose AB 1139 (Gonzalez). Their joint efforts will bolster the fight against the utility-backed legislation that would kill the residential and commercial rooftop solar industry in California and the 65,000+ jobs that go with it.
Chula Vista, CAkusi.com

Bill Walton hosts Free Bikes 4 Kidz Ride fundraiser in Chula Vista

CHULA VISTA (KUSI)- USA Cycling to host a Let’s Ride Camp for pre-selected youth in Chula Vista as the kickoff to Bill Walton’s, Bike for Humanity- Free Bikes 4 Kidz Ride on Saturday, May 1. USAC’s Let’s Ride Camps are a nationwide bicycle safety and basic bike skills education curriculum,...
NBANBC Sports

Bill Walton tells great story from his first C's-Lakers game

The Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers rivalry has cooled in recent years, but it's still hard to argue against it being the best rivalry in sports. The history between the two legendary franchises simply can't be topped. That especially goes for the 1980s, when Larry Bird's Celtics would do battle with Magic Johnson's "Showtime" Lakers. Bill Walton was a part of it during his brief stint in Boston and fondly remembers just how different NBA rivalries were then compared to today.
RELATED PEOPLE
Person
Joel Embiid
Indianapolis, IN247Sports

WATCH: Bill Walton reacts to Gonzaga-UCLA finish

UCLA’s magical March Madness run ended in heartbreaking fashion in the Final Four on Saturday night. The No. 11 seed Bruins lost a 93-90 overtime thriller at the buzzer to the No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. After Johnny Juzang’s putback layup tied things...
College SportsYardbarker

Watch: Bill Walton reacts to UCLA losing on miracle shot

How else can you react to something like that? That’s a shot that will go down in March Madness history. It’s a special moment, and it went Gonzaga’s way. That’s just how it is, and Walton accepted it immediately. Still, he was a lot closer with his pick of five...
RELATED PUBLISHERS
Publisher
Sportscasting
College SportsPosted by
Larry Brown Sports

Bill Walton sends incredible message to UCLA for Final Four

You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger UCLA fan than Bill Walton, and he came ready with a fantastic video message for the Bruins ahead of the Final Four. Walton sent a message to Bruins players — from in front of a truly great backdrop — that functioned as a mixture of praise and encouragement, urging the team to “do your best.” He also wishes them “good luck, good everything, today and forevermore.”
BasketballPosted by
The Oregonian

Listen as Bill Walton sounds off in front of Final Four

Bill Walton joined me on Friday for an entertaining, energetic, wide-ranging interview about life, basketball and dreams. It’s rich and worth your time. Walton will be on the Westwood One radio call for the Final Four. Listen to the full interview with Walton here. Walton talked about the Pac-12 Conference,...
College SportsThe Spokesman-Review

‘Truck stops’ and ‘Rome of the Northwest’: Following the twists and turns in a conversation with Bill Walton

Yes, Bill Walton is reacting to the Pac-12’s runaway success in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament precisely as you’d expect. “It’s fantastic, it’s exhilarating – and it’s what we expected,” Walton said to begin a 40-minute telephone call Thursday night that was fantastic, exhilarating – and what I expected. That...
College SportsPosted by
The Spun

Bill Walton Shares Brutally Honest Thoughts On NCAA Tournament

If anybody should be ecstatic about the way the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has played out thus far, it’s Bill Walton. The Pac-12, Walton’s beloved conference, produced four of the Sweet 16 teams. One of their representatives–Oregon State–has already advanced to the Elite Eight, with the other three programs playing today.