Basketball legend Bill Walton is one of sports’ most recognizable and beloved figures. His athletic success is well-documented as the top college basketball star at UCLA under legendary coach John Wooden followed by an NBA career playing for two Championship teams — the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. But Walton’s challenges off the court are less known. He stuttered so badly he couldn’t say a simple “thank you” until he was 28 and a foot disorder led to 39 surgeries, keeping him sidelined for over half of his NBA career. Widely considered one of the best speakers from the world of sports, Walton shares the secrets of world-class performance, personal and organizational excellence, and how he overcame nearly impossible odds on and off the court.
The lessons Walton learned on the basketball court became life lessons that served him well throughout his sports, broadcasting, and business careers. No lesson was more important than the words from the legendary John Wooden, Walton’s basketball coach at UCLA, who simply said: “Do your best.” With those words as his mantra, Walton embarked on an extraordinary life with grit and a positive outlook.
Following a celebrated college basketball career, Walton went on to have a hall-of-fame NBA career. He has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA named him on their “50 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time” and the “75 Greatest Players in NBA History” lists. After basketball, he pursued his dream job as a sports broadcaster, but first had to overcome his lifelong stuttering affliction. Today, Walton covers Pac-12 games for ESPN and the Pac-12 Network, and his alternate game telecast, Throw it Down with Bill Walton, debuted on NBA League Pass in 2023.
Walton is the author of two bestselling books, Nothing but Net and Back from the Dead. He is also active with many organizations and charities and was honoured with the NBA Retired Players Association Humanitarian Award in 2002 in recognition of his efforts.