A lot of people understand what not saying anything means, so, in effect, not saying anything is really saying a lot.
At 49, I can say something I never would have said when I was a player, that I'm a better person because of my failures and disgraces.
Bill Russell was my favorite player of all-time.
But you have to understand, my beard is so nasty. I mean, it's the only beard in the history of Western civilization that makes Bob Dylan's beard look good.
Growing up, my parents were very, very strict. And then I went to UCLA with John Wooden, who was just off the charts.
I don't sleep much. I'm on the go. My mind is racing. My wife says my mind is like the rolling dials on a slot machine. So, yeah, I think about everything.
I had the only beard in the Western Hemisphere that made Bob Dylan's look good.
I mean, I'm 6-foot-11, I've got red hair, freckles, I'm a goofy, nerdy-looking guy, I've got a speech impediment-I stutter and stammer all the time-and I'm a Deadhead.
I might be the most injured athlete in the history of sports. I've had 31 operations. An endless string of stress fractures.
I was a skinny, scrawny guy. I stuttered horrendously, couldn't speak at all. I was a very shy, reserved player and a very shy, reserved person. I found a safe place in life in basketball.
I'm mainstream. Always have been.
Life is about growth. People are not perfect when they're 21 years old.
Right now, you know, it's not about the refs or anything else, it's about hitting first, getting on the run and never looking back.
That's what makes it so fun to be on a team. You're sitting at your house, thinking up this wild, crazy stuff as to how it's going to go, and the other guys are sitting at their houses doing the same thing.
Well, we've made some changes on this tour. We're no longer sleeping in the parking lots and swimming in the fountains. We've been staying in hotels most of the way, though I will say some hotels have declined to take us because we're just having too much fun.
Without question, no hesitation, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the best player I ever played against.
His son Nathan Walton ran as an indepenent for Governor of California in 2003.
Bill shares the NBA Finals single-game record for most blocked shots with 8.
Bill was the 1977 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
Bill was a member of the All-NBA First Team in 1978.
Bill was a part of two NBA championship teams, with the Portland Trailblazers in 1977 and the Boston Celtics in 1986.
Bill is nicknamed "The Mountain Man" due to his height, 6' 11".
Since his retirement as a player, Bill has become a successful NBA color commentator for NBC (1990-2002) and ESPN/ABC since 2002.
Critics often say that Bill maintains a bias against certain NBA teams, for instance the Detroit Pistons fans regularly complain that Walton is often to harsh and judges their team because of their lack of a superstar.
He keeps a picture of the floor of the old Boston Garden arena in his kitchen to remind him of what basketball is all about.
Bill is a well-known fan of the Grateful Dead, in which he has attended numerous concerts of, Allman Brothers Band, Phish, and Bob Dylan. He has quoted the Dead's lyrics on TV and radio interviews, and was even invited to play on-stage with the group.
His son Luke was drafted and plays for the Los Angeles Lakers as a forward.
In 1996 he was named as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all-time.
Bill was the 1973 recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States.
Bill was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers as the first overall pick of the 1974 NBA draft.
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