PASSAGES: BASKETBALL CHAMPION AND HOMETOWN HERO BILL WALTON

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Miriam Raftery:  Left, Bill Walton at La Mesa's centennial in 2012; right, Walton at La Mesa Boys & Girls Club in 2014

May 27, 2024 (La Mesa)—NBA Hall of Famer and former Helix High School superstar  Bill Walton, 71, died this morning surrounded by his family after a prolonged battle with cancer. One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Walton later became an award-winning sportscaster. But he also won hearts and minds in the La Mesa community through his philanthropic efforts, including raising millions of dollars to build the Bill Walton Gymnasium at the Boys & Girls Club in La Mesa, where he was mentored in his youth.

NBA Commission Adam Silver issued a statement recalling Walton as “truly one of a kind. As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position. His unique all-around skills made him a dominant force at UCLA and led to an NBA regular-season and Finals MVP, two NBA championships and a spot on the NBA’s 50^th and 75^th Anniversary Teams.”  As a broadcaster, Walton overcame lifelong stuttering to deliver “insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans,” said Silver.

He added,  “What I will remember most about him was his zest for life.  He was a regular presence at league events—always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth.” Silver said that he envied Walton’s “boundless energy and admired the time he took with every person he encountered.”

Born November 5, 1952,  Walton developed an early love for sports.  As a boy, he watched the San Diego Chargers play at Sunset Park near Lake Murray.  “I saw all those guys and I dreamed,” he said in a speech at a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club gymnasium that now bears his name.

Recalling the mentoring he received there, which his efforts have brought to generations of youngsters,  Walton said before staying to exchange high-fives and sign autographs for every child present, “I’m in the Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame—and I truly am the luckiest guy in the world.”

Walton added,” “What great leaders do is inspire pride and loyalty. Loyalty is that human attribute that allows us as a community to come together and be part of a team—and to realize that what we have is so special, as a result of our caring about what goes on.  It’s not about us; it’s about these young children here who just have these fantastic smiles…who are just so full of dreams and full of hope.”

Hear audio of Walton's speech at the La Mesa Boys and Girls Club in 2014.

As number 33 at Helix, class of 1970, Walton led his team to two consecutive CIF championships. He became the first and only high school player ever to make the USA Senior Men’s National Basketball team and play in the World Championship and the Olympics.  He was enshrined in the National High School Hall of Fame.

At UCLA, he led his team to two National Collegiate Athletic Association championships, helped the team win 88 consecutive games, and was named the NCAA player of the year in three consecutive seasons (1972–74).  A scholar as well as athlete, he graduated with honors and a B.A in history at UCLA and later attended Stanford University Graduate School of Law.

His professional career in the NBA included the Portland Trailblazers and the Boston Celtics; the latter earned him another championship title in 1986. He also played with the San Diego Clippers and Los Angeles Clippers. He was an NBA Most Valuable Player and NBA Playoffs MVP, among other honors.  Walton was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994.

Named among the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time by the American Sportcasters Association, Walton worked as a sports commentator for CBGS, ABC,NBC, ESPN, Fox, MSNBC, and more, winning an Emmy Award for his broadcasting in 2001.  He also participated in baseball camps and clinics.

He dabbled in show business, with roles in “Ghostbusters” and more. Also a motivational  business speaker teaching what executives could learn from his favorite band, the Grateful Dead, he was named among Forbes top 10 pundits in America in 2007.

Walton played drums with Electric Waste Band, a local dance band performing works of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. Walton also served as executive chairman of Connect SD Sports Innovators, a nonprofit helping startup sports businesses. Today the band posted on its Facebook page, in part, "We are so saddened by the loss of our friend, fellow rocker, and hero, Bill. We love Bill so much. That will never fade away. It was such an honor and a privilege to get to know him and his family and be part of his world and to welcome him into the EWB family. We loved having him play in EWB. Obviously a huge loss to the Grateful Dead community and the sports world. He overcame life's challenges and went to the top of the mountain on multiple occasions. He will forever be an inspiration on how to live one's life and to keep moving forward."

Ever one to stand up for his principles, he was once arrested for protesting against the Vietnam War while a student at UCLA.

In later years, he served on the Junior Seau Foundation board of directors and was a staunch supporter of the local YMCA and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.  He was a founding board member for the Heartland Foundation/Heartland Coalition, publisher of East County Magazine.

Walton headlined the “Summerfest” fundraiser for East County Magazine, where his generosity of spirit shined brightly. Arriving on his bicycle, he realized he’d forgotten signed memorabilia for the silent auction. Undaunted, he proceeded to live-auction the items sight unseen—and personally delivered them to the winner’s house, where he spent the afternoon playing basketball with the family’s  young boys.

A towering figure at 6 feet, 11 inches tall, Bill Walton loomed larger than life for all who knew him--a hometown hero in every sense of the word. HIs amazing life was the subject of a documentary film titled "The Luckiest Guy in the World."

(Photo, right:  Bill Walton with ECM Editor MIriam Raftery in 2014)

Walton is survived by his wife of 33 years, Lori; his four sons, Adam, Nathan, Luke and Chris; and his three grandchildren, Olivia, Avery Rose and Chase. His son Luke followed in Walton's footsteps. They are the only father-son team to have each won multiple NBA championships.

In 2008,  Walton suffered  a catastrophic spinal cord collapse, the result of past injuries. Left unable to walk, he spent three years at home, crawling from room to room. Finally a pioneering surgical procedure freed him from excruciating pain as he fought back to full recover, an ordeal chronicled in his book, Back from the Dead.

Despite the ordeals he’s faced and the challenges he’s overcome, Walton wrote in his book, “I’ve had the greatest adventures and lived the most wonderful life imaginable.”