Bill Walton: B/R "Throws It Down" With the Big Man
Bill Walton is sitting on his undersized chair, sipping on a cup of sizzling miso soup and chatting about bold Guinness beer, legendary big men who "threw it down," the lessons he learned on and off the court and, in typical, hyperbolic, Walton-esque jargon, how he thinks the NBA is "on fire."
Bleacher Report was the only online-media outlet invited to interview the three-time NBA champion and College Player of the Year, Bill Walton, in Hollywood, Calif., as he shot a commercial for Guinness that will appear this coming March.
At first, Walton, 6โ10", towered over me, kind of like how a five-year-old feels gawking upwards at the Empire State Building. But within seconds, Waltonโs massive, intimidating exterior was revealed to be that of a jolly, gentle giant.
He cracked jokes with the production assistants, reminisced of how his green commercial attire reminded him of his high school colors at Helix High in San Diego, and then had more somber moments as he discussed his genuine, unwavering appreciation for basketball, like the sweet nothings whispered to his first love.
Bill Walton: Background
1 of 10If there is one thing Walton is not, itโs simple.
UCLA graduate (โ74), two-time NCAA champion (โ72, โ73), three-time NCAA Player of the Year (โ72, โ73, โ74), two-time NBA champion (โ77, โ86), Hall of Fame inductee (โ93), famed sportscaster and commentator, humanitarian and philanthropist, father of a NBA player, Luke Walton (Los Angeles Lakers).
You May Not Know:
In 2001, Bill was named as the inaugural inductee into the Grateful Dead Hall of Fame.
In 2009, Walton was named one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time by the American Sportscasters Association.
Walton and his older brother Bruce (UCLA '73) are the only brother combination in history to have played in the Super Bowl and to have won an NBA championship.
Walton and his third son, Luke, are only the third father-son pairing to have ever won NBA championships, as well as to have each won multiple NBA championships.
Walton on the Boldest Beer Around: Guinness
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W.L.: What is the premise of this Guinness ad?
B.W.: Guinness is the boldest of beers, and this campaign is all about Guinness celebrating boldness in sports.ย As the tagline says, this beer isnโt for everyoneโitโs only for the bold.ย Itโs not for people who only pick No. 1 seeds in their March Madness brackets.ย Itโs not for people who want their team to punt on 4th-and-2.ย And itโs not for someone driving the lane to tie the game instead of shooting a three for the win.ย Guinness is only for the bold.
W.L.: What connection to do you see between Guinness and basketball?
B.W.: The harmonic convergence that is Guinness and championship basketball is the theme that life is to be celebrated. The way I see it, while championship basketball is an unbridled imagination and personality exploding throughout the universe, it doesnโt happen without discipline, commitment and sacrifice, and thatโs why Guinnessโ commitment to responsible behavior is the perfect match.
Walton on the Five Greatest Big Men of All Time and Today’s Best Big Man
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Among the abundance of hyperbolic quotes that Bill Walton has uttered in his career as a sportscasterโย including a personal favorite, โGreg Ostertag is one of the top centers on this planetโโno doubt the one heโs most well-known for has become: โThrow it down big man! Throw it down!โ
Because he was a "big man" when he competed, I decided to ask him who he considers to be the top five big men of all time, a constantly debated and controversial topic among basketballs fans young and old.
B.W.: In chronological order, the five greatest big men of all time were Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille OโNeal.
W.L.: Who are the best big men in the NBA? Who is your favorite?
B.W.: Well, guys like Amar'e Stoudemire, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille OโNeal, Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard are dominant big men, but Pau Gasol is my favorite right now. He is such a beautiful basketball player. The great thing about him is how heโs totally changed the direction of the Lakers. Shaq brought an element of power that had never been seen since Wilt. But now you have Pau, and none of his game is powerโheโs basically Steve Nash in a seven-foot body. And then again, Nash is Pau Gasol in a 5โ10" body. Itโs a great thing for the sport what Pau is doing.
Walton on Kobe Bryant and Greatness
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I interviewed Bill the day after Kobe Bryant surpassed Dominique Wilkins to become the 10th highest scorer of all time. As I began my question to Bill, โSo Bill, Iโm not sure if you know, but last night Kobe surpassedโฆโ then suddenly a gargantuan hand came into view making an up-and-down gesture in an attempt to "shush" meโit was Bill who had a big smile on his face.
He said: โWill, I apologize for interrupting, but I was with Dominique last night.โ
He went on to say: โIโm Kobeโs biggest fan. We take players like Bryant, James, Jordan, Doctor J, all the truly great ones, we take them for granted because they do it every day. They are able to deliver peak performance on command and able to drive peopleโs patterns, behaviors and habits. They are the guyโs who make this game what it is. The truly great ones make it seem so effortless. Television is the main revenue source, and as important as it for basketball and the NBA, it doesnโt do the game justice. Fans at home watching donโt realize how fierce it is, how hard it is, and how tough it is.โ
After a quick sip of water, Bill stared me straight in the eyes with a stern look and said: โIf you have any taste for NBA basketball, go sit in the front row one night." Then he let out a playful chuckle, followed by a beaming smile: โThen you will be blown away as to how incredible these guys are.โ
Walton on the Reborn New York Knicks
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W.L.: At the beginning of the season, it seemed like the Knicks were one big question mark, but they have blossomed into one of the premier teams in the NBA. What is your opinion on their season thus far?
B.W.: Whatโs happening with the Knicks is just fantastic. Itโs especially great for the fans, who are incredibly passionate and remarkably loyal. For a long time they deserved better, and theyโve got it now.
But, really, Iโm just the biggest Mike DโAntoni fan. I mean, he saved basketball, first in Phoenix, and now heโs doing it in New York. Itโs incredible what heโs been able to do in a very short time, which most people donโt realize. We all expect everything to be fixed in 30 seconds. But there was a lot of ground to be made up and it's finally happening. The crowd is back and now itโs so fun to watch. The style they play, between guys like Fields, Chandler, Felton and, of course, Stoudemire, man, it's just pure fun to watch.
Walton on the San Antonio Spurs and the Magnificent Manu Ginobili
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W.L.: The Spurs are on a tear, 19-2 at home and 10-4 on the road, but do you think they will be a consistent factor throughout the season and into the playoffs?
B.W.: The Spurs are great. Tim Duncan is a historical level player. Tony Parker is one of two international players to be a finals MVP (Hakeem being the other). Manu Ginobili is capable of being the best player in any game ever played. You've got a Hall of Fame coach in Gregg Popovich, who is every bit as capable as Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers. Youโve got new young talent, like this guy (DeJuan) Blair, who is simply a skilled basketball player.
But what Ginobili doesโI mean, he does things that defy description. What heโs best at is his mind, and thatโs where great champions come from; the smartest, toughest mentally, most creative, imaginative, and the ones who are willing to lead. Heโs got all of that. His only problems are health, but if you give him the durability of a Kobe or LeBron or Kareem, the history of basketball is a lot different.
Walton on LeBron James and the Miami Heat Trio
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W.L.: What was your initial reaction to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh playing together in Miami?
B.W.: Listen, nobody criticized Pierce, Allen and Garnett. Nobody criticized Wilt for coming to play with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. Or what about guys like Robert Parish, Larry Bird, James Worthy, Magic Johnsonโthey never endured any criticism because of who they chose to play with.
W.L.: Of the trio, it seems like LeBron James receives the most heat. He tends to be either glorified or despised for his choice to go to Miami. What are your thoughts?
B.W.: All the unwarranted criticism of LeBron James is a result of jealousy. Who among us would have done anything different then what LeBron did? If he had just changed two words, like if he had said, โIโm taking my talents to New York,โ then they wouldโve said, โWow! thatโs the greatest thing.โ But he chose Miami, which for him was better.
LeBron is a fantastic player. I learned two great lessons from John Wooden, which were the first things he said to me the first time I met him when he came to recruit me when I was 15. He said, playing basketball is a privilege that you earn. Then he said, itโs not how good you are, itโs how good your team is. LeBron has earned the privilege to play and now heโs got teammatesโreally good ones. Everything in Miami is better than what he had in Cleveland. Also, itโs his life! His contract was up, he took the risk, and made a choice. This is LeBronโs life.
Walton on Idolizing, Meeting and Befriending His Heroes
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W.L.: When you were growing up, who inspired you to compete and play basketball?
B.W.: I come from the most unathletic family youโve ever seen. Never shot a basket with my dad. Saw him run one time at the church picnic and I fell over laughing.
But I had two childhood sports heroes, Bill Russell and Muhammad Ali. There are no greater heroes that young people could have in terms of ideals, sacrifice, commitment to the team, character, and being that moral compass, that shining star. I was really lucky, because then I got to meet these guys. I became their friends. To find out that they were nicer and better people than they were athletic heroes or champions, talk about dreams coming true.
Walton on Basketball: The Perfect Game
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W.L.: What is it about basketball that has kept you so dedicated to the game, whether as a player, sportscaster or fan?
B.W.: To me, basketball is the perfect game. All you have to do is wait for the opening tip, but itโs a game by rule that is a game of skill. The great thing is that it allows great players to be historical forces that will influence generations, creating the bigger question of, whatโs next? And thatโs the best part of life โwhatโs next?
W.L.: How do you feel that the game has changed since you competed?
B.W.: Well, itโs not just basketball that has changed over the years, but the youth culture and the structure. Guys come in to a manโs league without a foundation, without the realization of the value of a great coach, and without knowing the importance of the team. They tend to, when things go bad, rely too much on the structure of someone else to do their job, which is to win a basketball game, which you learn to do on the playgrounds at a very early age.
Thatโs why Iโm the biggest believer in positive leadership and the positive approach of encouragement. Players have to live by the mantra that youโll never learn what you donโt want to know. Then coaches live by the mantra you have not taught until theyโve learned. When those two emotions, thoughts, platforms come together, then it really happens. John Wooden was proof of that.
Walton on Overcoming a Speech Impediment
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W.L.: Many people know you as an exceptional athlete and outspoken, jovial sportscaster, but few people know that you suffered from a stutter as a young man. How long did you have the speech impediment and how did you break out of your shell?
B.W.: I couldnโt speak at all until I was 28 years old. Learning how to speak is unquestionably my greatest feat. A stutter is like a bad back; until you have one, you have no idea. I had no idea. With my severe stuttering problem, I couldnโt say thank you or hello. I grew up thinking only lucky people could talk. But then I learned that was untrue when I met Marty Glickman, who taught me that talking, like basketball, was not a gift, but needed to be developed.
I have the life I have now for a lot of reasons, but none more so than my failures and limitations. Iโm a better person, a happier person today, because of those failures, limitations and losses in life. I never thought Iโd say thatโbecause when you're older and youโve been where I've been you learn a lot. Over these 58 years, you learn, ultimately, perspective, relatively, tolerance and patienceโthings I never wouldโve learned if weโd just won all the time.
