Bill Walton

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

• Rising to the Challenge

  “Those not willing to risk going too far will never know how far they can go.” Those words from Bill Walton sum up his philosophy of life. At 6’11” in his Grateful Dead tie-dyed t-shirt, Bill Walton is one of the most recognizable and colorful sports legends ever. He also has one of the greatest can-do attitudes you’ll ever encounter. It’s a mindset he’s cultivated that he credits for helping him adapt, persevere, and ultimately succeed in challenges on and off the court.

  Named one of the “50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time,” Walton incredibly missed 9 and a half of his 14 NBA seasons due to injuries related to orthopedic problems. Despite that, his achievements on the court were enormous. When his storied career ended with his 30th surgery, Walton’s dream was to pursue sports broadcasting. One problem — a severe lifelong stutter that prevented him from even saying a simple “thank you.”

  Undeterred, Walton set about the task of learning to speak. He conquered stuttering and found a place behind the mic — earning numerous awards and honours since. Walton’s greatest test came in 2007 when severe back pain confined him to the floor of his home for two and a half years. Finally relenting to further surgery in 2009, the grueling rehab and recovery from that 37th surgery could well be Walton’s biggest achievement.

  While Walton exclaims regularly, “I’m the luckiest guy on Earth,” it’s clear his outlook on life helped create that luck. He loves to inspire audiences to rise to the challenge of seeing just how far they can go.

• What Great Coaches Taught Me About Leadership

  Basketball icon Bill Walton was part of legendary college and NBA championship teams: UCLA, the Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers. He was also part of the last-place team, San Diego Clippers. According to Walton, the difference between winning and losing was leadership. The best coaches knew how to get the best out of their players.

  In Walton’s career no one was better than legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. An English teacher who coached on the side for extra money, Wooden focused on the fundamentals. He never talked about winning and rarely even mentioned the opposing team. Wooden did insist that players work together, not be selfish, execute flawlessly, and be accountable for doing their best. Armed with that approach Wooden went on to win 88 consecutive games (a men’s collegiate record that still stands) and 10 national championships.

  Walton, the consummate storyteller, shares tales that are as insightful as they are entertaining on lessons of leadership learned from John Wooden, Red Auerbach, Jack Ramsey, and others during his storied career. Walton provides audiences with an inside look at how world-class performance is really achieved on the basketball court, including leadership and teamwork lessons based on principles that transfer off the court.

• Create a Team that Rocks

  What separates great teams from everyone else? Basketball legend Bill Walton knows and speaks from experience. He played on two championship teams under revered UCLA coach John Wooden. Those teams contributed to the Bruins’ 88-game winning streak, still the record in men’s collegiate basketball more than 40 years later. Walton was also a two-time NBA champion with the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. Of course, it’s not possible to appreciate great teamwork unless you’ve seen the other side of that coin and Walton experienced that as well during his time with the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers. After his playing days ended, broadcasting offered Walton the perfect perch to watch extraordinary teams perform.

  Throughout his business endeavours, Walton applied the teamwork lessons he learned from sports with astonishing success. In this keynote speech, Walton talks about the essentials of teams that rock — cooperation, friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, discipline, execution, and leadership — with humourous and revealing anecdotes. As one of the most colourful characters from the sports world, he delivers an inspiring message for teams looking to take their performance to the next level.

• Life Happens: Staying Joyful is a Choice

  Disappointment and troubles are a part of life. But whatever happens to us, remaining joyful is a choice. Bill Walton knows something about that topic. 39 orthopedic surgeries, half his NBA career spent on the injured list, unable to utter two words together without stuttering until he was 28, overcoming that lifelong stutter in order to pursue his dream career of sports broadcaster — it’s been quite a journey for Walton. He could have lost hope but the famed humanitarian and Deadhead (over 1,200 shows seen) is a man who lives by the mantra — “things work out best for people who make the best of the way things work out.”

  Walton inspires audiences to keep perspective and cultivate the habit of finding joy in the simple things. In fact, his story of resilience and positivity is the theme of the multi-episode ESPN 30 for 30 bio documentary called The Luckiest Guy in the World. Audiences will walk away feeling inspired by Walton’s example and motivated to choose joy in their own lives, no matter what life throws their way.