William Theodore Walton III Biography

William Theodore “Bill” Walton III is counted amongst the best basketball players ever to have graced the game in America. A tall man, he towered with a height of almost 7 feet and became a National Basketball Association (NBA) legend as a league Most Valuable Player. He inspired awe and admiration from his peers and coaches alike when he played for John Wooden’s varsity team UCLA Bruins. He was the most successful player of his college team and won the James E. Sullivan Award for the top amateur athlete in the United States; he is regarded as the best player ever to have played the game at college level by some sports historians. After college he started playing for Portland Trail Blazers joining them at a time when they were going through a really bad streak. The talented young man set off to a blazing start averaging 16.0 ppg in his first seven games. Unfortunately his career was plagued by injuries from the very beginning. He once broke a foot that set off a string of foot and ankle injuries which threatened his career and he was forced to retire untimely. After his retirement he became a successful though somewhat controversial NBA commentator.