Remembering Bill Walton

I was saddened to find out about today’s passing of Bill Walton at the age of 71. As a new survivor, I cringe when I read about anyone succumbing to cancer. Because I didn’t know of Bill’s battle, his death caught me off guard. It would be hours later until I could smile as I recalled my favorite interaction with Bill after a University of North Carolina vs. UCLA alumni game at Pauley Pavilion on June 28, 1987.

At the time, I worked at the Iowa City Press Citizen, where I landed my first job out of USC. Home in LA for vacation, I snagged a press pass for the game because I loved sports so much and was so dedicated to my career that I never missed an opportunity to go to a big game — even if meant working while on vacation.

For me, this was a big game even though attendance was only 4,828: the Collegiate Legends Classic to benefit the newly established Nell and John Wooden Post-Graduate Scholarship at UCLA and the North Carolina University Fund. John Wooden and Dean Smith were the honorary coaches. Players dating back to 1955 laced up their sneakers. Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Kenny Smith were among the UNC players on the court and Reggie Miller, Jack Haley, Lucius Allen, Rod Foster, Kiki Vandeweghe and Jamaal Wilkes for UCLA.

Bill didn’t play, but he, Denny Crum and Gail Goodrich were among the former Bruins in attendance. After the game, which the Tar Heels came back to win 116-111, I saw Bill in the hallway near the locker rooms and approached, my pen and notebook in hand, to interview him. Bill kindly took my notebook and pen and was about to sign his name – as if I wanted his fuckin’ autograph – when I stopped him and told him I was a journalist. Female sportswriters were not that common in 1987 so I guess I could excuse him for his faux pas.

Fast forward to March 14, 2023. I texted my dear friend Marsha Cooke, who lives in NY, at 8:18 pm PT. I had been recently diagnosed with a rare cancer and wanted to let her know.

“Are you awake?” I asked.

She immediately responded that she was at dinner with John Hareas and Bill Walton and included a photo of her, Bill and John, a celebrated NBA author. Not the time for a phone call to share my cancer news with her.

Instead, I responded:

“Tell Bill Walton the story please. Tell him one time I was covering a sporting event at Paulette Pavilion. I caught up with him in the hallway in the back and I went up to interview him and I had my pen and notebook out and he thought I was a fan so he took it and got ready to sign his autograph and I’m like dude I’m a journalist.”

“Pauley…hate spell check”

“This was on the late 80s or early 90s. Can’t remember the event.”

Marsha, the badass vice president & executive producer for ESPN Films and 30 for 30, later responded with a VM letting me know that she was in Austin for SXSW to premiere the documentary series, “The Luckiest Guy in the World,” about Bill’s life and philosophy.

“I read your text out loud, and the entire table laughed out loud,” Marsha said.

Today, I say thanks, Bill, for wanting to give me your autograph without me asking. That says something about your kindness. May you RIP and may your loved ones be comforted by your memories.

Sidebar:

Today, I had to ask Google when the UNC-UCLA game was. Once I knew the date, I looked it up in my annual planner/agenda. I have every year dating back to the late 70s so I can pretty much tell you what I was doing on any given day. These agendas are invaluable as I write my memoir – and write when the spirit strikes me, as it did as I remembered Bill Walton.