![]() Because of his recovery from the knee surgery, Walton played most of his sophomore year on the junior varsity team. īefore his sophomore season, Walton underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage on his left knee. Walton's struggle with injury and pain began while at Helix High School, where he broke an ankle, a leg, several bones in his feet, and underwent knee surgery. "Yes", said Gloria Walton, "then when the referee wasn't looking, Bruce would give the player an elbow and let him know that the skinny guy was his kid brother." "When they would begin to rough up Bill, I would look at coach and he would give me a nod", recalled Bruce. Bruce and I are the only brother combination in history to ever play in the Super Bowl and to win the NBA championship." "He went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys. "When those opposing teams would try to get physical with me, Bruce would do whatever it took to protect me", Walton recalled. If Bill Walton was getting physical treatment in a basketball game, Bruce returned the treatment. ![]() Bruce was a star football player as well. Walton played high school basketball at Helix High School in La Mesa alongside his brother Bruce, who was one year older at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) and 250 pounds (113 kg). I found a safe place in life in basketball." High school career I was a very shy, reserved player and a very shy, reserved person. I stuttered horrendously, couldn't speak at all. Coach Graciano "made it fun and really emphasized the joy of playing the team game", said Walton. Walton first played organized basketball under Frank "Rocky" Graciano, who coached at Walton's Catholic elementary school. "Bill and I couldn't quit fast enough", Bruce said. When the Walton children were in junior high and high school, their father formed an informal family band: Bruce and Bill played trombone or baritone, Andy played the saxophone, and Cathy played the flute. 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. His parents had interests in art, literature, politics, and music. Walton's father Ted was a music teacher and social worker and his mother Gloria, a librarian. His listed adult playing height was 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) it has been reported that Walton is actually taller (7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) or more), but does not like being categorized as a seven-footer. The Waltons' La Mesa home was a hillside home on Colorado Avenue, just below Lake Murray. He was raised with siblings Bruce, Cathy and Andy. Walton was born and raised in La Mesa, California, the son of Gloria Anne ( née Hickey) and William Theodore "Ted" Walton. He has hosted several podcasts and satellite radio programs featuring the music of the Grateful Dead. Walton is a noted fan of the Grateful Dead, as a self-described " Deadhead", and often mentions them in his broadcasts. Īfter 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. Playing as a backup 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. His career was rehabilitated during two seasons with the Boston Celtics at the end of his career. Walton sat out the 1978–79 season and was then signed by the San Diego Clippers (now Los Angeles Clippers), for whom he played four injury-plagued seasons. ![]() However, his professional career began to be significantly hampered by multiple foot injuries requiring numerous surgeries. Walton's 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. He was named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. He won another NBA title in 1986 as a member of the Boston Celtics. 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 played college basketball for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national college player of the year awards (1972–1974), while leading UCLA to NCAA championships in 19 and an 88-game winning streak. William Theodore Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is an American television sportscaster and former professional basketball player.
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