Letters to Sport: Bill Walton was one of the greatest human beings

Bill Walton it was a vital force like no other. Turns out he was also one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but that was secondary to being one of the greatest human beings of all time.

Living in Los Angeles my entire life, I’ve been surrounded by some of the most famous people in the world, and in all my time here, I’ve never seen such an accomplished person be so generous of spirit, so generous with their time, so genuinely interested. in being kind to everyone he met.

Having attended numerous UCLA basketball games, I personally witnessed Bill stay for hours after each game to ensure that every autograph, every photo, and every interaction with every fan received his undivided attention.

How ironic then that his favorite band was “The Grateful Dead,” when it was so obvious that he was always so grateful to be alive.

William David Pedra

Beverly Hills

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I’ve been watching basketball for over 50 years and without a doubt Bill Walton played with more enthusiasm than any other player I’ve ever seen. I didn’t much like Bill’s broadcasting style, but Bill was the best NCAA player I’ve ever seen, with Lew Alcindor, who became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a close second. Like Bill’s UCLA teammate Greg Lee, Bill left us too soon.

Vaughn Hardenberg

Westwood

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Whether arguing with John Wooden about his long hair, marching in protests against the war in Vietnam or extolling the virtues of the Pac-12 as the “Conference of Champions,” the gregarious Bill Walton was much more than a legendary basketball player. Now the big redhead takes the stairs and shares his love for UCLA and the Grateful Dead while challenging anyone who dares test their knowledge on almost any subject imaginable in a game of Trivial Pursuit. Stay calm, big guy. We will miss you.

Marty Zweben

Palos Verdes Properties

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For four days in a row, six years in a row, I was lucky enough to enjoy Bill Walton’s company during Byron Scott’s Adult Fantasy Basketball Camp. Bill was always hilarious, kind, enthusiastic and generous. During two camps, he opened his home to campers, which was like a sanctuary to basketball and the Grateful Dead.

The fact that Walton’s dominance in the NBA only lasted a few seasons due to injuries does not take away from his greatness or the skill with which he played. He was exciting to watch. The fact that Bill overcame his stutter to become an insightful and entertaining speaker is a testament to his work ethic and perseverance.

I am saddened to hear of his passing, but he will live on with everyone who saw him play or listened to his broadcasts.

Ray McKown

Torrance

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In the 50 years since Bill Walton graduated from UCLA, a lot has changed in college sports. Bill was a highly recruited high school player who chose UCLA because it was his lifelong dream to play for the Bruins and Coach Wooden. Another school couldn’t dangle millions of dollars in NIL money to influence his decision (yes, there was Sam Gilbert in the background watching over the UCLA players). He was not allowed to play on the varsity team as a freshman. Today Bill would be a “ready” player and wouldn’t have his retired uniform hanging on Pauley. Now the greats are gone after a year, so will there ever be another player who has his uniform retired and hanging on Pauley?

Charles Yacoobian

Valence

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Bill Walton became known as a radio presenter for his famous chaotic and unbalanced ramblings (which could simultaneously have everything to do with basketball and absolutely nothing). His games were seen as a loud and unapologetic travesty of the “Conference of Champions,” so while saddened by his untimely death, it seems certain that he will never know a world without the Pac-12.

Steve Ross

Carmelo

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I was incredibly fortunate to grow up in the dynasty era of UCLA basketball. Lew Alcindor, Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe, Jamaal Wilkes, Gail Goodrich, Marques Johnson and my favorite player, Bill Walton, the best center I’ve ever seen.

I was incredibly lucky to grow up listening to the likes of Vin Scully, Dick Enberg, Chick Hearn and other legendary broadcasters. But perhaps my favorite announcer of all was the same Bill Walton. He was obnoxious, loud, audacious, outrageous and talked about hyperbole! But you couldn’t help but love him. You loved his playfulness; you loved his sarcasm; you loved his enthusiasm… and you loved his undying, genuine, infectious love for the game.

I miss Scully. I miss Hearn. And I already miss Walton – the All-American and All-Pro basketball player, broadcaster and human being.

Steve Kaye

Oro Valley, Arizona.

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Missing “Grateful Red,” which I watched on tape delay on KTLA on so many lonely Los Angeles nights, was a shock to all of us who admired Bill Walton. I saw Bill play on several occasions, but today my memories are of seeing him happily riding his bike through Westwood Village, adjacent to UCLA.

I can only imagine Coach Wooden greeting Bill at the Pearly Gates, welcoming him but insisting on a haircut and shave first.

Mike Anderson

Sherman Oaks

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Don’t worry, after two weeks in heaven, an exhausted God will return Bill Walton to his post on the court, where he will continue to ignore the games and share his view of the universe.

Mario Valvo

Ventura

Respect for Dave Roberts

Not receiving enough attention following the Dodgers’ fifth consecutive loss on May 26 was Dave Roberts paying a visit to Mt., not to pull a pitcher, but to hug him, putting his arms around Yohan Ramirez for an extended period of time, encouraging the pitcher to know he can pitch. I’ve never seen this happen before from any manager. Despite all the criticism of Roberts and his management decisions, this gesture of humanity increased my respect for the man Roberts. With the Dodgers trailing 4-0 with one last hit in the top of the ninth, Roberts’ focus was not on the outcome of the game but on the emotions of one of his players. Remarkable.

Brian Crosby

burbank

Where is the goodwill?

You printed a letter in response to my letter about the Sparks increasing ticket prices by over 500% for the $20 tickets to the Fever/Sparks game. In this letter, the writer said that I called the Sparks ticket price increase “socialism.” For the record, I didn’t use that word and that wasn’t my point.

What I mean is, even if a sports team professes to help and consider people on fixed incomes by offering affordable tickets to games… that if the opportunity presented itself, the sports team would throw that goodwill out the window to make an extra dollar. . In a sold-out game where there were 19,000 people… do you think the Sparks could have stayed true to their mission and held back a few hundred tickets for the regular price of $20?

Steve Shavel

Forest hills

Clippers make the right decision

Hats off to the Clippers for being smart businesspeople signing Tyronn Lue to a long-term contract and big money, ending any rumors or chances of Lue going to the Lakers. Clippers 1 (won) Lakers 0.

Russell Morgan

Carson

Missed call?

There are rumors that MLB tried to call umpire Ángel Hernández about his impending “retirement,” but he missed the call.

Steve Ross

Carmelo

Machines ready to take control?

It turns out that the MLB we will not use an automatic strike zone through the 2025 season. It appears the Astros will have to wait another year before hacking the system.

Joe Kevany

Mount Washington

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