Providing a reliable backup to Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, and playing alongside Larry Bird, Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson, Walton received the 1986 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award en route to the NBA championship. UCLA's 1971-72 squad quickly became nicknamed "Walton's Gang," in honor of the 6-11 sophomore. He is a real estate executive. [108] He attended more than 850[109] Grateful Dead concerts, including traveling with the band to Egypt for its famous 1978 performance before the Pyramids (joining the band on drums),[110] and quotes Grateful Dead lyrics in TV and radio interviews. [35] Later in the season, UCLA dropped consecutive games in consecutive days at Oregon and Oregon State,[36] nicknamed "the Lost Weekend". Walton eventually signed with the San Diego Clippers when he became a free agent in 1979. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He is a wonderful person and a very special human being", Walton said. Bill Walton led a dynasty to two national championships, and an 88-game winning streak that no men's team has yet to touch. Bill Walton's time at ESPN as a college basketball analyst has delivered plenty of memorable moments over the last decade, and he didn't disappoint on Saturday as he took his . [57][58][11], During the off-season, Walton demanded to be traded, citing unethical and incompetent treatment of his and other players' injuries by the Blazers' front office. Because of his recovery from the knee surgery, Walton played most of his sophomore year on the junior varsity team. Join our linker program. Tech. Professional Life of Bill Walton. At UCLA in the early . Bill Walton is a playable character in the video games NBA Street Vol. Bill was taller, but frail as he had not filled out his growing frame. All rights reserved. [11], On September 6, 1985, Walton was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Boston Celtics for Cedric Maxwell and a 1986 1st round draft pick (Arvydas Sabonis was later selected). Playing as a backup center behind Robert Parish, Walton earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in the 198586 season, winning his second championship that same season.[3]. After having received a painkilling injection to play, X-rays taken after Game 2 revealed the navicular bone below Walton's left ankle was broken. In Walton's only NCAA tournament loss of his career, a double-overtime thriller against N.C. State, he still had 29 points and 18 rebounds while playing all 50 minutes, so he sure did his part to keep the Bruins in the game. [46], Portland finished the regular season 5824 and Walton returned for the 1978 NBA playoffs. After his retirement as a player, Walton has become a successful and controversial basketball color commentator. Bruce played in Super Bowl X, making Bill and Bruce the only brothers to play in the Super Bowl and NBA Finals. Oct 23, 2021. We had a bitter argument over that, and I lost that argument, too", said Walton, who took only three shots as UCLA had a 7861 win. Bill Walton William Theodore Walton III Twitter : BillWalton (Big Red, Grateful Red, Red Baron, Redwood, Chief) Position: Center Shoots: Right 6-11 , 210lb (211cm, 95kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 2x All Star 1976-77 TRB Champ 1976-77 BLK Champ 2x NBA Champ 2x All-NBA 2x All-Defensive 1976-77 Finals MVP 1977-78 MVP [24], Overall, in 30 games in 197172, Walton averaged 21.1 points and 15.5 rebounds, shooting 64.0% from the field. After being selected as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA draft, Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA championship in 1977, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award that season. His career was rehabilitated during two seasons with the Boston Celtics at the end of his career. To fellow Deadheads, Walton is fondly known as "Grateful Red" and the "Big Red Deadhead" and "World's Tallest Deadhead". 7 Arizona, Indiana outruns Purdue, UNC and Florida State earn stunning wins and more from a men's hoops Saturday, How two HBCUs won an NCAA tournament game in the same year for the first time, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 1971-72: 21.1 points, 15.5 rebounds, 63.9% field goal shooting, 1972-73: 20.4 points, 16.9 rebounds, 65.0% field goal shooting, 1973-74: 19.3 points, 14.7 rebounds, 66.5% field goal shooting, One of the top 15 players honored in th e75 Years of March Madness Celebration, The most points scored in an NCAA tournament championship game: 44 points (1973), The most field goals in an NCAA tournament championship game: 21 (1973), UCLA's all-time leader in career rebounds: 1,370 rebounds, UCLA's all-time leader in career rebounds per game (min. . In 1971-72, the Walton Gang went 30-0 and had only two games settled by single digits. "[8], "When they would begin to rough up Bill, I would look at coach and he would give me a nod", recalled Bruce. But an incident between his junior and senior seasons at UCLA nearly ended his pro career before it started. After losing the first two games, the Blazers won four straight to win the NBA championship. Walton led UCLA in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage for three consecutive years: No sophomore, junior or senior in UCLA history has averaged more rebounds per game, respectively, than when Walton was a sophomore, junior and senior. UCLA was 86-4 during Bill Walton's three years of college with the center starting his college career 73-0. [10], During his sophomore year of high school (age 1516), Walton grew from 6ft 1in (1.85m) to 6ft 7in (2.01m). 2 (2003), NBA Street V3 (2005), NBA 2K12 (2011), NBA 2K13 (2012), NBA 2K14 (2013), NBA 2K15 (2014), NBA 2K16 (2015) and NBA Jam: On Fire Edition (2011), and lent his voice to NBA 2K5 and NBA Shootout 2004. "[75], Said Walton reflecting on his career: "I loved basketball. Bill was unable to play a complete game without resting. [63], In the 1986 NBA Finals, the Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets with "Twin Towers" Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson 42 to win the NBA Championship. In addition, during his first two years, Walton badly sprained an ankle, broke his left wrist twice, dislocated two toes, dislocated two fingers, broke a toe and injured his leg in a jeep accident. "[36], UCLA finished 264 and 122 in the Pac 8 Conference, with Walton playing alongside Keith Wilkes, David Myers, and Marques Johnson. I looked up at him with the sad, soft eyes of a young man who just wanted one more chance. USA forward James Forbes told ESPN as part of a SportsCentury documentary, "If [Walton] plays, all of this becomes academic. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. Walton won 1 MVP Award, was selected to play in 2 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993. Learn more and register. "So the things he taught us made no sense to us. [50][46], In the 1977 postseason, Walton led #3 seed Portland to series victories over the Chicago Bulls with Artis Gilmore (21) and the Denver Nuggets with Dan Issel (42). "Walton could do everything, he had great timing, complete vision of the floor, had excellent fundamentals and was a great passer, both in outlet passes and in the half court. After the game, Louisville coach Denny Crum told reporters, "I think this is the best UCLA team ever.". Walton was a consensus All-American alongside Ernie DiGregorio of Providence, Ed Ratleff of Long Beach State, David Thompson of North Carolina State, and Kermit Washington of American. [102][103], Bill Walton's other brother, Bruce Walton, played in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys from 1973 to 1975. Period.". Their comparative career stats: WALTON 468 Games averaging 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 blocks on 52.1% shooting from the field. Walton would never play for the Trail Blazers again. [46][11], Following extensive rehabilitation, which included biking and sand volleyball, Walton's foot began to improve; after playing only 14 games from 1979 to 1982, he played 33 games in 198283 under doctor's orders to play about one game per week. Elvin and I are still close friends. "[36], In 2009, Walton underwent an eight-hour spinal-fusion surgery. Obviously, we didn't do a good job of that. The Waltons' La Mesa home was a hillside home on Colorado Avenue, just below Lake Murray. The team leader on defense, Walton was a superb rebounder and outlet passer to start the fast break. There were running jump hooks and short jumpers off the glass. 2 min read. He averaged 17.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 4.3 blocks in the first round series against the Bulls. Bill Walton averaged 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. At age 32, Walton wished to move to a winning franchise and reached out to teams after the season ended in 1985. [70][71] Some saw it as a political statement given Waltons opposition to the Vietnam War, but the most likely reason for his decision was his bad experience at the 1970 world championships. The craziest part? Bill Walton was born in La Mesa, California. Walton played significantly less healthy seasons, but in those seasons, he practically guarantees your team a title as long as he has a decent supporting cast (in the mold of a Prime Shaq, Jordan, Duncan, LeBron, etc.) The Terre Haute Tribune noted that Walton "doesn't shoot all over the place." Portland lost the series to Seattle in six games. He never talked about strategy, statistics or plays, but rather about people and character. Walton's most famous college performance was a 44-point outburst in the 1973 NCAA tournament national championship against Memphis State, when he made 21-of-22 field goal attempts. "It was all a matter of if he could stay healthy. Look at this. "[12], On Clippers owner Donald Sterling, Walton commented, "The checks bounced higher than the basketballs when Donald Sterling took over. I'll never be able to wash that off, and I carry it with me forever. Dressed in blue jeans, white basketball shoes and a Carlos Santana T-shirt, Walton's busy telling students about March 15, 1990. An alternate broadcast featuring . With Walton, UCLA won the NCAA Championship in 1972 over Florida State and again in 1973 with an 8766 win over Memphis State in which Walton made 21 of 22 field-goal attempts and scored 44 points. Well, he scored at least 20 points in five other NCAA tournament games, including two 20-point, 20-rebound games in the 1972 NCAA tournament. [46], Walton described doctors looking at his X-rays at the hospital after he arrived in Boston: "And then Red, he bursts in through the double doors and he's smoking his cigar in the hospital, and he walks in and says, 'Who are you guys and what are you doing with my player?' [25][26], 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. Helix won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Championship in both 1969 and 1970, finishing 292 in 196869 and 330 in 196970. Do you have a blog? Red looks down at me. ("Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes! Bill Walton College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Bill Walton Position: Guard 6-1 (185cm) School: Eastern Kentucky SUMMARY Career G 66 PTS 10.9 TRB 3.0 AST - FG% 45.4 FT% 71.2 Walton Overview Game Logs NCAA Tournament Game Logs 1964-65 All Game Logs On this page: Per Game Per Game Share & Export But that led to extreme efficiency. During this time, he befriended the controversial writer Jack Scott, who wrote and published a book about him in 1978. Bill Walton probably had one of the best games anybody ever had in the history of college basketball."[33]. Wooden would become a lifetime mentor to Walton. And Red says, 'Shut up. Bill Walton was born on November 5, 1952. Find out more. [25], Walton was the 1973 recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. Here is the schedule, scores and game times for the 2023 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, running Feb. 23-26. Do you have a blog? Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 6:40AM. [28][27], In the 1973 NCAA title game against Memphis State, Walton had arguably the best individual performance in an NCAA championship game, which was the first held on Monday night. [52][53], Portland matched up in the 1977 NBA Finals against the favored Philadelphia 76ers. [114], Walton also considers himself a fan and friend of the late writer Ken Kesey. Bill Walton started his basketball career from the fourth grade at Blessed Sacrament Elementary School by coach Frank "Rocky" Graciano and also played for his college at the University of California and Los Angeles. 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. In the Nuggets series Walton averaged 17.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 3.0 blocks. In 1972-73, they were 30-0 again and won four . Coach Nash played Bill and Bruce Walton together in the paint. If you let him have the ball around the basket, you're dead. He also set the single-tournament mark by shooting 76.3 percent (45 of 59) in 1973. Bartow added, "I felt very good at halftime, very good. He is a graduate of Indiana University. Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I've never met anybody who stopped playing voluntarily. November 5, However, they were outscored 120, missing six consecutive shots with four turnovers. Omissions? This was a team achievement and was built around Walton but we'd be foolish not to go to him. This article was most recently revised and updated by, The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-Walton, ESPN Classic - Walton weathered injuries to win titles, Bill Walton - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Walton is a noted fan of the Grateful Dead, as a self-described "Deadhead", and often mentions them in his broadcasts. 3 [deleted] 10 yr. ago [27], In the 25-team 1973 NCAA tournament, UCLA defeated Arizona State 9881 and then San Francisco in the West Regional Final 5439 to reach the Final Four. He did not get his wish and sat out the entire 1979 season in protest. Walton was the inaugural inductee into the Grateful Dead Hall of Honor in 2001. [23][24], 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 semifinal, as UCLA won 9677. The Irish made six shots in a row, winning on Dwight Clay's shot with 29 seconds left, as Notre Dame prevailed 7170. And I was going to go until I couldn't go anymore. It's become my greatest accomplishment of my life and everybody else's biggest nightmare."[79]. Big Red, Grateful Red, Red Baron, Redwood, Chief are nicknames for Bill Walton. Here is the Week 1 ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll, released Feb. 14. He was a dynamic big moment guy, and I just wish I could have risen to the occasion. I lived most of my life by myself. I've had 37 (38 now) orthopedic operations. In July 2012, ESPN and the Pac-12 Network announced that Walton would return to full-time broadcasting as a game analyst for Pac-12 conference basketball coverage. 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 200 197071 UCLA freshman team. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. If Bill Walton was getting physical treatment in a basketball game, Bruce returned the treatment. Do you have a blog? Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Throughout his career, nagging injuries continually slowed Walton. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Find out more. . The 6'6" 205-pound wing set the NCAA record for career rebounds (2,201) that still stands today. 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 stints for several networks and teams. What a dream come true. [60][59], The 1986 NBA playoffs were Walton's first taste of the postseason in nearly a decade, at age 33. Freshmen were prohibited by the NCAA from playing varsity at the time. (Bill Walton had attended Stanford Law School for two years while with the Clippers, but never graduated.) Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. [18], "It was a dream come true to be a part of a special team", Walton said. Walton played 50 minutes and scored 29 points, adding 18 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. "[49], Walton led the NBA in both rebounds per game (14.4) and blocked shots per game (3.2) as he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game, but did not participate due to an injury. All rights reserved. Perhaps, I've never had a better team when you consider both offense and defense. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Or, as Walton himself would call it, "The Conference of Champions." And I almost wasn't. "Walton has averaged 21.3 points per game and 15.5 rebounds per game, despite riding the bench much of the time after the starters had built insurmountable leads," wrote The Daily Herald's sports editor Joe Watts. 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