Bill Walton — The Hardest Working Speaker, Ever

June 3, 2024

I indulge in sharing my experience with NCAA and NBA champion hall-of-famer Bill Walton, who passed away last week.

When I was young, our television was a large piece of furniture that also included a record player and stereo receiver. The cabinet itself would be highly valued today as a fine example of mid-century modern furniture. The TV always had issues with its color and required constant adjustment, which was typical for old televisions.

In April 1974, I watched Bill Walton score 44 points and help his UCLA team win the NCAA college tournament on that poorly adjusted color television. He also had 13 rebounds, and UCLA defeated Memphis State 87–66. Many sports historians and critics still consider his performance as one of the best in college basketball championship games.

It was the first time I had watched a basketball game from start to finish, and I hardly knew who Bill Walton was until that night. I was a twelve-year-old who rarely played basketball, aside from a few times in gym class. But after that night, I wanted to be like Bill Walton.

Bill Walton died last week of pancreatic cancer. Many of you may need to learn who he was. He was a prolific basketball player at UCLA under coach John Wooden, another hall of famer basketball coaching…