The legendary Bill Walton passed away one week ago and the past week has been a time to reflect on the memories so many of us have of a truly iconic figure.
Many people older than me remember Bill as an incredible basketball player and many people younger than me remember him as an incredibly entertaining college basketball announcer. I grew up watching Bill call games on NBC and ESPN and with the Clippers, but gained a greater and fuller appreciation for who he was right after college when I read The Breaks of the Game, partially a Walton biography written by the great David Halberstam. I met Bill at a conference when I was in my late 20s and we spoke about David Halberstam; several years later on Thirty Minute Mentors, he told me it was the only David Halberstam book he never read.
When Bill joined me on Thirty Minute Mentors, I turned the shot clock and game clock off and let magic ensue. I asked Bill about mentorship and the best lessons he learned from John Wooden. “We only have 30 minutes. I need 30 years…”
We talked about leadership, overcoming obstacles, surviving Donald Sterling, developing confidence and comfort in your own skin, and a number of other topics, including our favorite author. After 50 minutes of recording, we wrapped, with Bill saying as only he would, “That was the fastest 30 minutes that I’ve ever been a part of.”
RIP
