Bill Walton: podcast appearances and interviews

William Theodore Walton III was known as America’s Common Sense CEO and the host of The Bill Walton Show. With a distinguished career in basketball, Walton played collegiately for the UCLA Bruins where he gained prominence in the early 1970s as the starting center for coach John Wooden. He won three consecutive national college player of the year awards from 1972 to 1974 and led UCLA to NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973, contributing to an 88-game winning streak. Walton was selected as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA draft and played professionally for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. Notably, he led the Trail Blazers to their first and only NBA championship in 1977 and was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. He also earned the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1978. Walton’s professional playing career was significantly affected by foot injuries, resulting in 37 orthopedic surgeries. Despite these setbacks, he participated in 468 games over 14 seasons, concluding his career with the Celtics, where he earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in the 1985–86 season and contributed to another NBA championship. After retiring from basketball, Walton became a sportscaster, overcoming personal challenges such as stuttering, and earned an Emmy Award in 1991. He has been recognized as a member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.