"He thought enough of me to make sure I was comfortable with him being on the team. [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). Walton was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of both tournaments and established an NCAA tournament career record for field goal percentage at 68.6 percent (109 of 159 field goals) from 1972 to 1974. [citation needed] Walton has said repeatedly in his broadcasts that he is just as much to blame for taking the medication as the doctor was for giving it to him. "I came back and told Coach Wooden that this Walton kid was the best high school player I'd ever seen", Crum recalled. Wooden said Walton is the best center he had ever seen in throwing outlet passes. It's true that Bill's game, even when he was healthy, was never about flash. [15] In addition, Walton's 825 rebounds that season ranks No 3 all-time. Find out more. Thank you Larry Bird. 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, 8077. Do you have a sports website? One anecdote that particularly illustrates Walton's decision to choose the Celtics over the Lakers involves Larry Bird, who happened to be in Auerbach's office when Walton called. One more chance to be part of something special, to be part of the team, to be with the guys one more time. I had no idea what we had at UCLA. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It's my greatest failure as a professional in my entire life, I could not get the job done in my hometown. I mean, we were good from top to bottom. Bill Walton made at least $2,625,000 playing professional basketball. Or write about sports? Join our linker program. 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. He was raised with siblings Bruce, Cathy and Andy. We've got a game.' [77][78], Walton said about his speech issues and subsequent career, "I'm a stutterer. [8][9], "When those opposing teams would try to get physical with me, Bruce would do whatever it took to protect me", Walton recalled. Bill Walton was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1993 (Full List) [34] "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 (War) protest. Walton re-fractured the navicular bone in the fourth 1979 exhibition game and subsequently missed all of the 198081 and 198182 seasons, undergoing several surgeries on his injured foot. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. [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. Walton's injuries and surgeries limited his career, and counting his 19781979 year-long holdout, Walton played in 44% of the regular season games in his 13-year career. Look at this. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Also Read: Bill Walton's Top Moments during Warriors-Blazers Match. ", Wooden, after Walton's 44-point performance in the national championship: "For Bill, I believe this was the only time this season I've seen him so emotionally ready to play. As was his belief, Wooden did not call time-outs late in games and stuck with the strategy. That's the timelessness of pain and suffering; the agonizing, the reflection and the endless questioning of yourself. He never talked about strategy, statistics or plays, but rather about people and character. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. He became the only player in league history to have won an NBA finals MVP, Sixth Man Award and regular season MVP. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Bill Walton is a playable character in the video games NBA Street Vol. [37] He was named 1st Team All-American alongside Marvin Barnes of Providence, John Shumate of Notre Dame, David Thompson of North Carolina State, and teammate Wilkes of UCLA. I've never met anybody who stopped playing voluntarily. I had no desire to ever stop playing. Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1974 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1993 (Full List), More Bill Walton pages at Sports Reference. 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. He was a dynamic big moment guy, and I just wish I could have risen to the occasion. 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.) [citation needed], Walton first played organized basketball under Frank "Rocky" Graciano, who coached at Walton's Catholic elementary school. "[12], "We had the best gym in San Diego and all the Rockets players wanted to go there", Walton reflected. Walton knows alot of basketball but doesn't beat you over the head with his "basketball knowledge" I'd rather hear Walton go off script than hear Jay Bilas say "horn set" 500 times a game. [115], His memoir, Back from the Dead: Searching for the Sound, Shining the Light and Throwing It Down, was released by Simon and Schuster in March 2016. ", UCLA coach John Wooden: "There have only been two men I have coached that could have played on the varsity in their freshman years Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton. "[citation needed], Walton played high school basketball at Helix High School in La Mesa alongside his brother Bruce, who was one year older at 6ft 6in (1.98m) and 250 pounds (113kg). He left that to David Thompson, whose N.C. State Wolfpack downed Walton in the 1974 NCAA championship, or Julius. He played college basketball for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national college player of the year awards (19721974), while leading UCLA to NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973 and an 88-game winning streak. Bill was taller, but frail as he had not filled out his growing frame. 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. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. In the Nuggets series Walton averaged 17.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 3.0 blocks. But I'm all better now. Do you have a blog? [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. I was never so embarrassed in my life. [11][46], Walton overcame a stuttering problem at age 28 with the help of Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman, after a lengthy conversation between the two at an event. 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. 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. 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. Walton received the NBA Retired Players Association Humanitarian Award in 2002. The Trail Blazers with Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, and LaRue Martin finished 3844 under player/coach Lenny Wilkens. We couldn't get him out. Bill Walton is my main man, for that reason."[66]. I stuttered horrendously, couldn't speak at all. 1952 [46], At age 17, just out of high school, in the summer of 1970, Walton was selected to represent USA Basketball at the 1970 FIBA World Championship. [118][119], Walton has cameo appearances in the films 88 and 1, Celtic Pride, Little Nicky and Semi-Pro, and appeared as Sven the Wise in the 2011 Capital One Visigoth SportsNet commercials. But in life, being so self conscious, red hair, big nose, freckles and goofy, nerdy looking face and can't talk at all. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Walton was born and raised in La Mesa, California, the son of Gloria Anne (ne Hickey) and William Theodore "Ted" Walton. 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. He added 13 rebounds, two assists, and one block, to lead Bruins to a seventh straight title, 8766 over Memphis State; the Tigers were led by head coach Gene Bartow (who replaced Wooden at UCLA three years later),[29] with players Larry Kenon and Larry Finch. Walton spent the 198788 season on the Celtics' injured list. [95][96][97] Luke was named after Walton's friend and former teammate Maurice Lucas. The following series of photographs in The Daily Herald (Provo, UT) show Walton's technique of grabbing a rebound, holding the ball high over his head and throwing a two-handed overhead pass to a teammate. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. It's not like he attempted 22 dunks, and still, he missed only once all game. On the black day in 1974 against North Carolina State, he produced 29 . We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Bill Walton can talk a good game when it comes to doing color commentary on college basketball telecasts, but he played a nearly perfect one as UCLA's star center in the 1973 NCAA Tournament final. [38], In the 1974 Final Four, UCLA's record seven consecutive national titles was broken. The Terre Haute Tribune noted that Walton "doesn't shoot all over the place." Bill Walton was born on November 5, 1952. [23], In the 25-team 1972 NCAA tournament, UCLA defeated Weber State 9058. 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. Bill was unable to play a complete game without resting. Learn more and register. "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. He loved to win on the opponent's court. William Theodore Walton III In 1994, Walton was voted into the Verizon Academic All-American Hall of Fame. One new team enters after the opening weekend. 2 min read. "Maurice was so important in my life and in little Luke's life", Walton said. All rights reserved. Freshmen were prohibited by the NCAA from playing varsity at the time. In 2015, he made a visit to the Ken Kesey Collection while on a stop at the University of Oregon. 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