Bill Walton’s Journey
Bill Walton is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game.
Raised in La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego, Walton played for John Wooden at UCLA. During that time, he was named the National Player of the year three times as a Bruin.
In 12 seasons in the NBA for the Trailblazers, Clippers, and Celtics, Walton won two NBA titles and an MVP award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
But his climb to the top didn’t come without its obstacles.
Over the course of his lifetime, Bill Walton has had thirty-eight surgeries performed on his body. The first four years following the end of his Hall of Fame career were filled with agonizing pain and trips in and out of the emergency room.
But with those years behind him and the basketball community supporting him, Bill feels better than ever and is using his platform to inspire people who are experiencing chronic pain.
Today, Walton is an ambassador for “Better Way Back,” who provides support to people suffering from chronic pain. He also volunteers for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, a San Diego non-profit that gives people with physical disabilities access to sports.
