The huge bus pulled up to the Snell Hall just after 2pm in Corvallis. Former UCLA Bruin, former Portland Trailblazer, and Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton walked into the room about 15 minutes late, after he had just came from the office of Oregon State men’s basketball coach Craig Robinson.
After taking questions from students at the University of Oregon Friday morning, Bill Walton took questions from host, and Oregon State play-by-play man Mike Parker before taking questions from the audience.
Mixing humor with personal stories of trial and achievement, Walton poked funat the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team, Richard Nixon, and everything in between.
Listen to the discussion HERE
Walton’s career began in his hometown of San Diego, California. He started receiving offers at the young age of 15. He became the 6-foot-11-inch center for the UCLA Bruins under arguably the most respected coach of all time, John Wooden.
He was signed by the Portland Trailblazers in ’78, as the first player to receive a one million dollar contract.
After an illustrious career with the Blazers and the Boston Celtics, in addition to a relatively short-lived stint with the Clippers, Walton began his sports broadcasting career. Walton has called himself a “life-long stutterer,” making his entry into the broadcasting community that much more impressive.
He is a die-hard rock n roll fan, as he told the audience that he has been to over 830 Grateful Dead concerts (see picture in the Youtube video of a Grateful Dead sticker on the back of his tour bus).
Walton has also been said to have ties with the Sybionese Liberation Army in Los Angeles. The SLA was an organization that had been investigated by the FBI due to murders and kidnapping. Walton’s ties have yet to be proven.
However, on Walton’s trip to Oregon State, he kept students, staff, and the general public on the edge of their seats with his inspirational, informative, and interesting discussion.
Bill Walton will attempt to be in town for the Oregon State men’s basketball game, as the Beavers (10-5, 0-2 Pac12) try to bounce back from an 0-2 Pac-12 Conference start. They will play the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats (14-1, 2-1) at Gill Coliseum at 5pm on Sunday.
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