Bill Walton --The Hardest Working Speaker, Ever

June 3, 2024

I indulge in sharing my experience with NCAA and NBA champion hall-of-famer Bill Walton, who passed away last week.?

When I was young, our television was a large piece of furniture that also included a record player and stereo receiver. The cabinet itself would be highly valued today as a fine example of mid-century modern furniture. The TV always had issues with its color and required constant adjustment, which was typical for old televisions.

In April 1974, I watched Bill Walton score 44 points and help his UCLA team win the NCAA college tournament on that poorly adjusted color television. He also had 13 rebounds, and UCLA defeated Memphis State 87-66. Many sports historians and critics still consider his performance as one of the best in college basketball championship games.

It was the first time I had watched a basketball game from start to finish, and I hardly knew who Bill Walton was until that night. I was a twelve-year-old who rarely played basketball, aside from a few times in gym class. But after that night, I wanted to be like Bill Walton.

Bill Walton died last week of pancreatic cancer. Many of you may need to learn who he was. He was a prolific basketball player at UCLA under coach John Wooden, another hall of famer basketball coaching legend. The two won three NCAA men' Basketball titles together. Walton went on to win additional championships in the NBA with the Portland Trailblazers and Boston Celtics. He was an outstanding player and, based on what people have written, an even more exceptional person.?

After that, I lost track of him and his career for a long time. I was aware of his presence in the NBA, especially on two NBA Champion teams, the Portland Trailblazers and the Boston Celtics. However, he was plagued by injury for much of his NBA career.?

Later, he became a sportscaster and an opinionated one at that. His style and ideas turned many off. However, anyone who worked with him loved him.?

Walton was also a rebel. A longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, he could quote Jerry Garcia and was purported to have gone to over 1,000 concerts. He seemed to pop up at concerts if he wasn't playing or broadcasting.?

One year, Walton was a lunchtime speaker at an International Economic Development Conference in San Diego. I was less than excited, as I had found his broadcasting career boring and self-congratulatory. But since I was there and he was there, I went.

He spoke non-stop for about an hour. He went over his career, the people who coached him, John Wooden of UCLA being one of the most impactful, his injuries, and how he was in so much pain a few years ago due to his injuries (mostly back-related) that he was nearly suicidal.

By the end of this speech, the entire room was on its feet, giving him a standing ovation. His speech was filled with stories, inspiration, and compassion. I believe I even shed a tear (full disclosure: I will cry during GEICO commercials if they are done well).?

Several years later, I needed a prominent speaker for my annual breakfast and fundraiser. I wondered if I could hire Walton and how much it would cost. We looked up his agency, and while his fee was more significant than I was initially comfortable with, why not? He is just the guy we need.?

Bill Walton was as tenacious a speech preparer as a basketball rebounder. Once we signed him, my staff and I spent over two and a half hours on the phone with him, answering his questions about our community, organization, economy, and local leadership. He was preparing for his speech, and we were excited to hear what he would say.?

We set up a schedule where he would meet with Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan coaches and players for a "pep talk." He would then attend a sponsor's reception and give his keynote speech in the morning. This would be followed by time at the local radio station for an interview.?

We had to hire a stretch limo for his nearly seven-foot frame, and I had to borrow a board member's Escalade to cart him around town. Upon his arrival, we drove around town for an hour and a half. I showed him the highlights of the community, and he asked all the right questions, evidence that he had done his homework up until that point.?

Phone calls

About a week before our event, Walton called me directly. He was excited and instructed me to purchase an ISU polo shirt and IWU polo shorts. Then he said to go to my tailor and have him cut each sweater in half and sew the two opposing shirts together. He would wear it at the basketball players' event and the sponsor reception.??

Before the team meeting, I discovered that IWU would not attend, so I got the assistant sports director to grab an ISU shirt Walton could wear. I saved the "split" shirt for a fundraiser later. I had Walton sign it before he left.?

Walton spent two hours with the teams, three hours at the sponsor reception, an hour and a half during the keynote luncheon, and another hour on the radio for a pre-arranged interview.?

In the end, I am trying to remember everything he talked about. However, whenever he would tell a story about the Grateful Dead, recite lyrics from one of their songs, and then bring that back to something John Wooden said or did, he masterfully held the audience's attention. He was a master at keeping everyone interested, no matter their perspective.?

During his keynote address, I worried that people would leave. Maybe they wouldn't like this self-proclaimed hippie and his liberal mindset. However, as I surveyed the audience during his speech, I saw no one move. In the end, just like in San Diego, everyone was out of their seats to give Bill Walton a standing ovation.?

When we went to the radio station, the regular host, who knew me and what our organization did well, was unavailable. A fill-in host was present, and she had yet to learn who I was, why we were in the studio, and who Bill Walton was. After introductions, Bill picked up on the apparent lack of knowledge and talked straight for the next thirty minutes (sorry to the advertisers whose commercials had to run later). More importantly, Walton described what the EDC was doing for the community and how grateful everyone should be that I was in charge and mentored several projects and companies that he had educated himself on.?

What a pro.?

I will never forget my eight hours with Bill Walton. His thorough preparation and genuine interest in who we were and what we did in our community were sincere. It wasn't phony. Bill Walton took a real interest in everyone and everything. His eagerness to attend our smaller events, take pictures with anyone who asked, and sign every program and piece of memorabilia was commendable and exceptional.

I usually don't feel anything when a celebrity passes away. But somehow, because of his actions, I felt that Bill Walton, the guy I watched on television in 1974, was my friend. He inspired me to work hard despite how tough I felt things were. Whether one agrees with his viewpoint of the world or not, Bill Walton worked hard and put forth a valiant effort wherever he went. Although I never had a chance to speak to him again after that day, I always thought that if I had called, he would have taken my call, asked me how my city was doing, and started asking me a million questions.

Rest in Peace, Big Bill. You were a pro and the master of preparation.?