Many people today know Bill Walton as an eccentric basketball broadcaster, but he had a long and interesting path before he got behind the mic.
As a young man, he was introverted and uncomfortable but found an outlet in basketball. At UCLA, he won two national championships and entered the NBA highly regarded.
Unbeknownst to many outside his circle, he had gravitated politically far to the Left. He grew his hair out and was a vegetarian when that was controversial for an athlete.
He grew even more controversial when he was briefly (and probably unfairly) associated with the SLA via his friend, sports activist Jack Scott.
By 1977, he had cut his long red hair, ditched the headband and played basketball like a Greek God.
And in 1977, Walton had one of the greatest seasons in the history of basketball, leading the Portland Trailblazers to a stunning victory over Julius Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA championship.
He showed a dazzling of skills: he could score, rebound, start the break, pass. He was a brilliant talent.
Yet his body had already started to betray him and it would cost him huge chunks of different seasons.
Near the end, he would sign on with the Boston Celtics and in 1986, be part of another great team. Watching Walton and Larry Bird make magic together is still unbelievable.
This is a cool video, especially for people who are interested in basketball history. Walton’s health limited him, but when you see how thoroughly he understood the game and what a brilliant player he was, it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t one of the all-time greats.