OAN’s Brooke Mallory
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 4:15 PM
Bill Walton, 71, died of colon cancer on Monday at his home, leaving the basketball world in mourning.
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Even though he previously moved to Los Angeles and spent most of his NBA career there, he never missed an opportunity to honor his hometown of San Diego.
With a demeanor that matched the city’s sunshine, the Hall of Famer served as the Southern California city’s unofficial representative long after his playing career ended.
Walton’s quirky on-air antics were well known to many sports fans, but in San Diego locals knew him as “the tall guy who liked to ride his bike around town.”
“I love cycling, I love San Diego and I love solar power,” Walton said during several appearances at events for various causes.
John Wooden guided Walton to two NCAA titles at UCLA, and he later won NBA titles with Portland and Boston. He was also named league MVP in the 1977-78 season. Walton played four seasons with the Los Angeles and San Diego Clippers.
Walton won titles with the Trail Blazers and Boston before being drafted first overall by Portland in 1974. He later left the NBA to pursue a career in broadcasting, and in 2009 was named one of the 50 greatest sportscasters of all time by the Sportscasters Association of America.
Social media was flooded with posts Monday from people who had spotted Walton at events, concerts or at the airport, saying hello, signing autographs and sometimes having lengthy — but memorable — conversations.
Even as signs of aging began to set in, the foot and back problems that plagued his NBA career didn’t slow him down until later in life. In addition to riding his bike, Walton occasionally attended local concerts and basketball games sitting in a specially made high-backed chair.
He was ecstatic when he found out the 2016 Amgen Tour of California was kicking off in his hometown, and rode a custom-made bike painted with Grateful Dead paint from his home near Balboa Park to the press conference at the harbor.
Walton is also depicted on his bike in a life-size bronze sculpture at Ski Beach Park in San Diego’s Mission Bay.
“He is survived by his wife, Lori, and sons Adam, Chris, Nate and Luke, who played 10 seasons in the NBA.” NBC San Diego report.
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