The Big Red Comes Home: 'The Next Reinvention of Bill Walton'

by Nestor on Mar 10, 2010 5:15 AM PST

The Big Red retired from broadcast few months ago and has now immersed himself into a whole new set of adventures back in his hometown of San Diego. There was a great profile on the Bruin living legend on voiceofsandiego.org:

Forty years since he played at Helix, Walton has turned his sights back home to San Diego. The La Mesa native is starting over after 14 years in the NBA and 19 years as a broadcaster -- this time as a businessman. Just since the year started, he's emerged as a leading figure in three local business ventures.

Walton is the executive chairman of SD Sport Innovators, a trade group that mentors sports companies and is part of the nonprofit high-tech trade organization Connect. He's also working as a spokesman for NuVasive, a local medical device company that developed a spinal procedure Walton underwent last year. And he's a spokesman for Greener Dawn, a Solana Beach based-firm that specializes in energy efficiency consulting and helping young clean technology companies find investors.

A lot has changed for the two-time NBA champion. He won't say why he left broadcasting last fall -- only that "broadcasting left me." Since then, Walton has focused on figuring out what he wants to do here, at home.

"I left here in 1970 to chase my dream. A lot of those dreams came true," Walton says. "I've always lived here but I'm guilty of not being involved in all aspects of our great city. Now it's time for me to help other people with their dreams."

Read rest of the piece here. And how can we have a post on the Big Red w/o a reference to Grateful Dead. The Big Man brought it up himself:

"Sometimes the light's all shining on me. Other times, I can barely see," he is saying, using an old Grateful Dead lyric. "But to be ... back in the game of life at such a dynamic time... is really the greatest opportunity ... and the greatest challenge."

Keep on trucking Bill.

GO BRUINS.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Comments

Gotta love Big Red

I miss the quirky style he brought to the BSPN panel.

I also like how this post is tagged with Cornell, due to Bill’s nickname.

by Tydides on Mar 10, 2010 6:52 AM PST reply actions

Ha

Didn’t even see the Cornell tag.

by Nestor on Mar 10, 2010 7:04 AM PST up reply actions

I have yet seen another collegiate player

that could dominate a game as devastatingly as the Big Red did.

Kareem played before the Big Red did They never clashed until their teams met in the pros. So I’ll leave out the debate on who dominated more in college for now.

Walton’s stellar NCAA performance left no doubt with anyone that he was the Great White Hope. Yet his NBA games, during those brief span of seasons when his fragile legs somehow withstood the rigors, were nothing short of a divine revelation, if you asked me.

That various physical ailments, foot injuries, etc would hamper him thoughout his playing career is simply mother nature envious of his skills. I can still vividly recall that thrilling NBA semi final series between Walton’s Portland Trail Blazers and the Jerry West coached Lakers, featuring Kareem, traded from Wilwaukee Bucks only a few years back. Walton prevailed in that classic clash of the titans and ultimately won the championship. No matter the outcome, the matchup showcased two magnificant centers’ inimitable skills at a level unsurpassed to this day.

He is not simply loved. He is revered.

by Htse005 on Mar 10, 2010 2:38 PM PST up reply actions

So many of our student/athletes represent us so well

I am hardly an unbiased observer. But, how can you not be proud of what our Bruins do after they step away from sports. We probably have to two greatest big men to play the college game and they are still “big men” many years later.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Mar 10, 2010 8:08 AM PST reply actions