American basketball center who paced the UCLA Bruins, at the time called “Walton’s Gang,” to NCAA Crowns in 1972 and 1973. In both of the seasons that he led his teams to NCAA victories, he was named All-American and Player of the Year. The 6′ 11″ red-haired pivot man of his team, he also had tendonitis in both knees. Bill’s brother attended UCLA as well, but instead of playing basketball was a football tackle with the Bruins.
The red-haired pivot man of his team, Walton also had tendonitis in both knees. His injuries included a seemingly endless succession of broken bones. After the San Diego Clippers signed him to a five-year, multi-million-dollar contract in May 1979, they lost his services almost immediately due to injuries. In March 1981 the Clippers collected over a million dollars from Lloyd’s of London as compensation for their permanent loss of Walton.
Two things happened to revive his career. First was reconstructive surgery on his left foot in January 1981. The second was his decision to go to Stanford Law School in the fall of ’81. The following year he approached Clippers coach Paul Silas. Silas and then-general manager Ted Podleski proposed having Walton play one game a week, though with great skepticism. During the fall of 1982, Walton’s weekly game stretched over most of California. He went to class in the morning, worked out in the afternoons and studied at night. On Fridays, he would fly to his game location.
Walton ended his career in 1987 playing with the Boston Celtics and settled in San Diego, CA where he became a sports broadcaster. He is the proud dad of Luke Walton, born on 3/28/1980, a brawny 6′ 8″ junior who has sparked his U. of Arizona Wildcats squad to as high as No. 4 in an AP poll and an almost certain bid to the NCAA tournament, starting 3/12/2002. Luke is the third son of Bill and his ex-wife Susie, who shared custody of the boys after their 1990 divorce.
Link to Wikipedia biography