Bill Walton

It should come as no embarrassment to other San Diego-area hoopsters to state unequivocally that 6-11 Bill Walton is the premiere basketball talent ever produced in this county. An NBA Hall of Famer since 1993, he was a three-time collegiate All-American and College Player of the Year and sparked the Bruins to two NCAA championships. Bill won the 1973 Sullivan Award as the top U.S. amateur athlete. He was the Most Valuable Player of the 1977 NBA playoffs and was named league MVP in 1977-78 as he led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA championship.

He played out his career with the Clippers in both San Diego and Los Angeles, and with the Boston Celtics, where he played for two years.

The 1970 CIF-San Diego Section Player of the Year, Bill’s accomplishments at Helix High still appear prominently in the local high school record book, including single season points and per game scoring average and also career, season and single game rebounds while leading Helix to two CIF crowns. A particularly superb game against Pasadena High in a Los Angeles tournament led directly to his matriculation to UCLA. During pre-game warm-ups, Bill became enraged when an opponent made a derogatory remark about Bill and his team. Uncharacteristically in a controlled rage, he demanded the ball throughout the game and generally played like a man obsessed. He scored 50 that night, added 28 rebounds, played great defensively, and sent a UCLA coach back to John Wooden with the comment “we’ve got our replacement for Alcindor.”

He played in 135 consecutive wins at Helix High and UCLA.

Bill is seen nationwide these days as a TV commentator doing NBA games, yet another remarkable accomplishment for the San Diego native, who is still working to overcome a severe speech impediment.