Bill Walton Remembrance

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Bill Walton, one of basketball’s most eccentric characters, dies at 71 - The Athletic (nytimes.com)

Celebrating the life this week of the legendary gentleman, Bill Walton. I'm sharing this story below on behalf of my cousins, Charley Blaine and Chardel Blaine. The two of them witnessed Walton's kindness, generosity of spirit, enthusiasm for life and meaningful human connection first-hand. Thanks to my good friend and former colleague from the Dallas Mavericks, Coach Jim Guy, for making the ask to Bill Walton that made this story possible.

Here's Charley and Chardel's Bill Walton Story, penned by Charley:

There are thousands of posts about the late great Bill Walton. He was a superb, intelligent athlete: I was lucky to see him play live in the late 70s.

He was funny, joyful, a manic Grateful Dead fan, and, like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, an equally great center both at UCLA and the NBA, well read and really really smart.

To all that, I offer a small personal tribute.

In 2003, my father-in-law, George Gibson, suffered a devasting stroke that left his intellect intact but his body mostly paralyzed. He became terribly depressed, and everyone in my wife's family were deeply concerned.

George Gibson was a big Portland Trail Blazers fan. He'd even decided a few years before to make the late great Maurice Lucas (Bill's closest friend on the Blazers) an honorary Gibson family member. Indeed, Luke's portrait was added to the wall of pictures of grandchildren at George and Del Gibson's house in Portland, Ore.

So, to try to give George something to smile about, I called Will Patton, one of Chardel's cousins, who worked for another NBA team and explained the problem, wondering if the Blazers might help cheer George up. Will had a better idea: Bill Walton, who liked to step to the line for something like this. And Will had connections that might reach Bill. So, I gave Will my number and Chardel's mobile number and hoped we'd get a win.

A few evenings later, just as I was getting home from work, my phone rang, and a huge voice boomed, "George! You've got to get out there and help those Blazers! They're counting on you!"

He added some more encouragements, and I had to stop him. "Are you Bill Walton?" I asked.

"Yes, I am!" the voice boomed.

I had to explain he had the wrong number.

I gave him my wife's number. Incredibly, when he dialed it from a New York hotel room, where he'd just arrived from southern California, he reached Chardel at George's hospital room in Portland.

She put the phone to George Gibson's ear, and Bill started up again. It took George a little time to realize that the huge voice -- telling him to get better soon so he could whip those Trail Blazers into proper shape -- was no joke.

I am told they happily talked about the Blazers, and the NBA and college basketball.

The look of joy on George's face, Chardel told me, was sublime.

Bill even called Maurice Lucas, the honorable family member. Luke, in turn, got the Portland Trail Blazers @ the Rose Quarter involved. Within a few days, the team sent George a warmup suit and a basketball autographed by all the players.

Del Gibson later told me that Bill called a few days after the first call just to see how George was doing, and they spent another half hour discussing pro and college hoops.

Sadly, a few weeks later, George suffered a fatal heart attack.

Afterward, Will Patton and I each wrote Bill Walton to tell him how much his calls had meant to George and how grateful the entire family were for his gesture.

Each of our notes offered our profound thanks.

Within an hour at most, Bill wrote back: "Thank you for including me."

Bill Walton Maurice Lucas Foundation David Lucas