S1E3: Bill Walton

a present, what a future? I am the luckiest guy on earth, the Celtics. They did not give me my career back. They gave me my life back. And here I am to try to help pay it back. But there is no way that I can ever do that. And look who just joined us here, the man, the myth, the legend himself. Oh I'm so jealous about that beer. I have one of the worst beers in the history

of the known world. And there is Kendrick himself, the champion, the leader of the foundation, the pillar with this magnificent bear. They're so proud there. What are you've built for yourself? Kendrick? You opened up with your excitement about the Celtics, and in my time here and being around this organization, every time I hear you talk about the Celtics, you get this glow in your eye. But it's interesting to me

because you only played ninety games for this team. Obviously you want a championship, But what is it that has given you such a close tie to this organization and make you love the green that you're wearing right now? By the way, you're wearing a Celtics sweatshirt right now. What what makes you love this organization so much? Jeff Twist and Nike they a shout out to Twist Twist the So. I grew up a Celtic fan and Bill Russell was my favorite player ever. I live in my

hometown of San Diego. I live a mile from the hospital that I was born in. We've been in our house for forty two years. This is my dream. And my mom, who's still alive at ninety four years young, she lives in the same family home that we all grew up and she's been there for sixty nine years. But my parents zero interested sports. They always asked me, Billy,

are you ever going to get a job. So here it was this situation where I found sports following my older brother who went to a ton of Celtic games. I found sports through this remarkable coach that I had, who was like John Wooden, who was like Jack Ramsey, who was like Red Auraback. He was just this incredible

force of nature, much like Big Perk. And this guy Rocket was being Perk in my life because he was the volunteer coach at the elementary school that I went for fifty nine years, never took a dime for fifty nine year. He was the local fireman, and he had

children going to the same school. We were all the same age, and so he just saw a need and said, I'm going to take care of this, like Red, like John Wooden, like Jack grand like all great leaders, and a lot like Rick and Steve did when Obama challenged the city of Boston to put that statue up for Bill Russell, they said, we're going to take care of this.

And that's what Rocky did. And he taught me the joy of sport and love and hope and optimism and all the things that go into wanting to create this dream of Yeah, that's what I want to do with my life. And then I met Rocky when I was eight years old. And then two years later, within two years, chick Hearne took the Laker broadcast job and we had our house. We did not have a television debt and basketball was not on TV at the time, but it was on the radio. So chick I found Jake arm

My parents zero interest in sports. I mean, I never shot a basket with my dad, So him run one time at the church and picnic and go over land and my mom my mom's a town's librarian, and they just they don't like sports. They don't know anything about sports, they don't follow sports. But they're the greatest parents ever. And so with the incredible parents who were encouraging and nurturing and so positive, and then Rocky and chick Hearne, and then every coach and teacher that I had as

a child in these fabulous schools of southern California. They were all John Wooden disciples, and so this was this wonderful culture. Now I'm not like Big Perk. I did not grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth. But here it was a situation where I had the dream, and in the early days that dream from Rocky, from my parents, from Chick and ultimately John Wooden was hope, opportunity and purpose and over the time that the way

that Chick used to talk about the Celtics. Chick was the Laker broadcast, so he was doing his job with them, but the way he talked about the Celtics and the way I read about the Celtics and the the fast break and the team game. And then Bill Russell just this incredible he and Bill Russell is my favorite basketball player ever on and off the court, and the way he played and the way he conducted himself as a player. He played to win, He played to make the other

players the star. He did whatever it took to win the games. He was the exact identical player to Steve Nash, except they didn't look the same and they didn't have the same body type. You know, Bill was big, long and lean and rangy and powerful, and Steve was looking a lot like Sean there, you know, just you know, Steve's about my wife's compliments and so well you're sitting down, Sean and so. But Steve, like Bill Russell, is a

true giant. And the way he played, he played with his mind in his heart and his spirit and his soul and that's what Bill Russell did. But you could never discount the advantages that Bill Russell had with his coach, Red Alback. There has never been greatness without a great coach, and Red was just phenomenal. And so here was little Bill. Are you growing up in San Diego and just dreaming about this fantastic team? And then my mom brought home Bill Russell's first book, Go Up for Glory and from

the library and I never turned the back. I never turned the book back in and I kept it and she kept bugging me, Billy, we're running up these incredible fans. We don't have any money, man, you want to eat or you want to read this book? And for the fifteen time, so I never turned the book back and

I still have it to this day. When I first signed my my initial NBA contract, the first check that I wrote was to the San Diego Public Library System to replace that book that I never that's a true story. Well why would I say, that's what kind of what kind of moral character do you have? But to be on the Celtics was one of those special special moments because I loved all the teams, and I love the

culture and what Red had established. I read all the books and I watched all the shows, and I got to know Red as a college player, as a early professional, and I was playing with the Blazers and I was on read on round ball all the time, and Red was always trying to get me to go on these international tours. But I was either hurt or they had a revolution in Iran. We were going to Iran. We're all scheduled to go over there and put on a big basketball symposium. And but then it read called and

was saying, hey man, they just had a revolution. They just threw the show at jail or out of town. It's not a good idea, right, So we're not gonna go over there. And then the Yeah, the Russell teams and all the people who I had met through Willie

Knowls and idolized to being a fan. And then to see the transition and the early seventies team with Cowens and have the Check and Nelson and Silas and Jojo White and Don Cheney, who was just a just you know, a real pillar in basketball because you know his start with Elvin Hayes at the University of Houston and the battles that Houston and u c l A used to have in the n c A Tournament in the nineties sixties, and then that early seventies Celtic team also had either

Paul Westfall or Charlie Scott on it and had Tommy Hinson who was the coach, and it was just And then I started to meet guys like Bob Ryan and everyone I met it was just like perfect. And then I was at a crossroads in life in the eighties and I was talking to my great friend David Halberstam, who I had met through the breaks of the game and I was a huge fan of his. But then I met him through Jack Ramsey and the books that he was writing, and David Halberstam said, hey, man, you

should go play on the Celtics. I said that one from southern California said it'll be fine, and so I did, and I came with high expectations. I had no idea how great it would be because the basketball was better than perfect. The culture, the life, everything in Boston was just over the top, spectacular empty that the saurus. I just wish it could have lasted forever. And if I ever get close to answering your question as to why I'm a Celtic. You should say, Okay, that's enough on

that bill. We want to ask you a question. Well, I can just keep going. Let me try, okay. When in in in nineteen eighty five, you've had the injuries, it hasn't gone well with the Clippers in San Diego, it looked like you got a chance to play your home team. When in nineteen eighty five, When that summer, because remember we've told the story from Cedric Maxwell's perspective and how he had fallen out of favor during that season and that Red was looking to move on from him.

When was the first time the idea of this dream of yours and becoming a Celtic. When is this on your radar? In that summer of in the summer, in the summer of five, I made the decision that I and I was slow to this decision. I'm a very stubborn guy. And John and John Wooden he always used to you know, John Wooden had a mantra for everything, and the mantra for me with my abbornness was stubbornness. We deprecate firmness. We couldone the former is my neighbor's

treat and the latter is my own. And so when I finally came to the ultimate decision that I could no longer be in the world of Donald Sterling, I had to move on. And it was I should have done it a lot earlier, But it was the process of making it happen. Bill, I had to give Donald Sterling every dime. I had to do that, and to get out, and and and he kept holding it up. And you know, I had called Red and and asked

him for a chance to be on the Celtics. And he asked Larry, who was sitting in the room at the time. I got Red on the phone, and Larry said, go get him, and Read said, okay, let's do it. And then and then Reggie said to me, keep your mouth shut and let me take care of it. And you know, Red Red was, Red was like David Stern. Red loved to negotiate. The last thing I want to do with my life is sitting inside of building and

argue about money all day long. I want to play, I want to go, I want to work to make things better in life. Yeah, and so I've been very fortunate that I've been able to make enough money to survive, and I am alive right now, and I have the dream life that I want. My challenge will be to sustain that life. But you know, I'm not in charge. I'm I'm an employee. I'm an independent contractor. I'm a working man, and I like being a workingman. And I wanted to say this to you. Uh be a legend.

I'm a big fan, being a big fan of yours. You're not old enough to know who I am. I am. I'm old enough. I have an old soul. Okay, I have an old soul, right I look, I look, I'm thirty six, but I have an old soul. I was raised by my grandparents, so I know a lot about the history of the game. And I think when I look at you, and I think you bought a different

flavor to broadcast. I remember one time I was watching the game in high school and he was brought cast in the NBA game and you said something so funny it's stuck with me to this day. Somebody took a horrible shot and it was just the simplest thing, but you was like, that was the worst shot in NBA history. I mean, it was horrible, and it wasn't that bad, but the fact that you said it, it was just like,

that's how I need to be, like straightforward. I think like you set the bar for guys to be comfortable with with who they are for is being able to go out there and say what they want to say, because that's what the people want, the authenticy, right. And I know at times I stuttered, I'm a country boy from bout my Texas, but I'm not changing. I'm not a guy that's going looking the encyclopedia. I'm not a guy that's going looking at diction there. No, we're talking basketball. Okay,

we're talking barbershop basketball. You know what the hell I'm trying to say? I do. I've been to be It's the it's the garden spot of South eastern Texas. Absolutely beautiful and one of the guys, one of the guys in the offer t the Champions who are broadcast for now in the Pact twelve from Boulder. He is from Beaumont, as well Eli Parque, and then Mail far is from Beaumont, Texas, and Frank Robinson. I believe it's from all these incredible stars,

So don't be bad enough in Beaumont, Texas. But I have two questions. I have two important questions. One like, I'm a huge fan of your son Luke Walt Right like NBA champion role players times? Yeah, two time champion, I know that, right, I mean one time they beat us, so I'm familiar. Okay, two time NBA champion read that

one too. But you know I have a different I have a different love for a role for role players, right because the average NBA careers three and a half four years, and Luke surpassed it, and write NBA champion now as the head coach, as a father, as a far to, I just want to know how that makes you feel watching watching watching your son play the game of basketball and now watching him be a head coach in the NBA and you know, doing a pretty good job it like, as a father, how does that make

you feel? And do y'all talk on the regular? What kind of advice you give them? I know you probably call him a lot and give him then I fool, right, perk, big perk. There's nothing like the pride of a dad. How many children do you have? I have four? How many grandchildren? No? No, no, no, I'm not dead old. He's thirty six. He's got a couple of years until he gains. You're thirty six years old. Oh my gosh, I'm I'm thirty two years older than you are. I'm

sixty just getting started out here. But Luke is one of our six children and fourteen grandchildren. My oldest brother passed away recently into en and so we adopted his two adult children, and there are five children. So now that puts our total at six children and fourteen grandchildren that were responsible for and the pride of a dad. And to see what all of our children have been able to do, and you know, Luke is in the

public eye. There's nothing like the NBA. The platform that the NBA gives to so many different people, and the value and the ability to enable and to empower people to become who were capable of and then to see your child do that, and I am just thrilled as can be. But I'm well aware that the Kings have lost their last three games, and then you're only as good as last night's game, and that only lasts until the dawn, and then you're only as good as your

next game. But they're moving in the right directs in the right like. So the first time in about twenty of years, we could say that the Sacramento Kings, Uh, they have bright spots and they're moving in the right directs, and so I give them the benefit of the doubt. You're very kind and you have a lot more patients

than I have. I just tell Luke every day that I love him because our jobs as broadcasters, Luke's jobs, Brad Stephen's jobs, they must be the easiest jobs in the world because everybody keeps telling us how to do our jobs. And situation where Luke's is responsibility as the coach. And you know, Sacramento is a phenomenal town, but in the NBA you have to win, and the job of the coach is to make the players better at what

they do and who they are. And so the great good fortune and privilege that Luke had as a child to grow up in in the NBA atmosphere and culture and world. He was very young, he was probably four or five, six, maybe seven when when we were Boston,

and Larry was his favorite player, and Larry's everybody's favorite player. Anybody, whoever, anybody who ever saw Larry Bird play basketball, he's their favorite player because he was just so remarkable, and Larry could not have been nicer to all of our four children and always inclusive to him, and Larry would take

our children with him. He and died that they didn't have children at the time, and so they would take our children to the All Star Game with him every year and buy him as suite and pay for everything to say, order whatever you want, and UH and Larry would take care of everything, and they would just have the time in their life. And and then Luke growing up Greg Lee, who was the star of our u c.

L A team. Greg Lee became a coach UH and mentor and math teacher here in San Diego Public schools after his career was over as a professional in Europe. And then he he was instrumental in Luke's in all of our children's development and love for sports. And then Luke had a great high school coach named Jim Tomy, and they were state champions, and he played with his brothers and it was just a phenomenal team and tons of the guys went on too, huge success in athletics,

academics and in business as well. And then he got to go play for lud Olson and lud Olson was the twenty one century version of John Wooden and induced with a style and the culture and identity like the Celtics, like the Bruins, like any great franchise, and with the great coach. And then and then he got to play for Phil Jackson and Rudy ton Janevich for for nine ten years. Luck, you know, and so you're gonna learn a lot. And but you know, you know, in the NBA,

you gotta win. That's what it's about. And uh I I do text him, yea, I do text him more than regularly. What's whatever you want? So? I just want to know, how do you feel about the Nuclayers right now? The new age NBA, the generation. It's fantastic, it is

these guys are remarkable. The physical development, everything is better everything, you know, the skill, the talent, the size, the strength, the speed, the business aspects of it, the financial aspects of it, the medical aspects, the training, the equipment, the buildings, the charter planes. I mean, when when you look at it from my perspective, it's the dream come true. This is what we wanted, this is what we thought, this is what we visualize and helped to make happen like

this wouldn't have happened without you. Absolutely, when we were doing it. It was perfect then too, you know, you know basketball and NBA basketball in the seventies was phenomenal. You had the Knicks with great players and great teams. You had the Lakers, uh Jerry and Elgin and Wilt On the Knicks, you had Willis and Walt and Earl and Dick Bill and Dave and Red Holtzman just fantastic. You had the Celtics, we already went through their whole

team in roster. And then you had the Baltimore Bullets, which were great with Rest Unselled and uh Jack Marron and Gus Johnson and oh my goodness. And then you had Milwaukee with Kareem and Oscar and Lucius and Bobby Dandridge. And you had just these phenomenal teams that every year. It was just great. Phoenix had a great run. They didn't win the title, but they made it to the

finals once again. Boston and nineteen seventies six Golden State Warriors one of the great teams ever with Rick Barry and Jamal Wilkes and Phil Smith and Aladdle's just absolutely spectacular. The expansions were coming in Portland. The Blazers won a championship Seattle won a championship in the seventies, and then you had the Washington Bullets at the end with when

they got Elvin Hayes. And you know, Elvin Hayes was just an absolutely spectacular player and the things that he did, and he was just the first of this endless line of guys who came to Little Billy when I first when I first arrived at their orbit, and he could not have been more accommodating, he could not have been more supportive and nurturing. And to see how that is all now paved forward and you've got all, you know,

all these guys just doing spectacular things. And the way that the three point shot has changed everything, the way that the the remarkable mobility and the athleticism of the players and the coaching it used to be that the you know that, and the ownership level has gone through the roof and and all of that is a result of David Stern. And David Stern is the most important person in the history basketball. And he's probably Shaun size or Laurie's size, and never shot a basket. Mark. I

don't know, Mark, you look bigger. You're sitting up in your chair, and so but David Stern, he made a game into a business, and David he loved the business aspects of it, and he also saw the opportunities to use the NBA as a vehicle to move the world to a better place. And and the way that he that he insists that people get involved in the community.

And and you know the Celtics with Wick and Steve, I mean, it's just like spectacular what they do with the Celtics Foundation, all the different charitable worst that they involved within the community aspects, and to make us so proud because when you look at this new team that they have right now, there's a lot of players on that team deep and they just keep coming right now with the wind street that they're on right now and playing so well and be able to overcome the COVID adversities.

And no team has been more impacted this year than the Celtics by COVID and then have Heaven Kimba being out of the lineup at the beginning, that doesn't help. But know, health is everything, and uh and I am I am the most injured player ever. I was in the NBA for fourteen years. I missed nine and a half full seasons and so I know the logivity of it. I know how tenuous it is. And so and when when you have something, and basketball was the easiest part

of my life. And when you have something and you love it and and you want to keep it and you can't, that that changes you as a person. And and that's you know, you get you get greater appreciation for life, get greater appreciation for struggles, because you know, I had the greatest childhood in the world. You know, we didn't have anything in terms of material possessions, but I had everything. You know, I living here in San Diego.

You know, I thought Los Angeles was freezing cold, and then I had never lived in a cold weather climate. And then I went to Portland, Man, I thought the sun had burned out, that the world was coming through an end. And then when I was going to Boston, everybody said, Bill, you know the weather there's it was a lot different than San Diego. And it was. But being on the Boston Celtics with Larry Bird was like being on a tropical island. Larry. Larry packs a lot

of heat in every aspect of his life. Even as great as Larry is, he was not able to do it by himself. You know, I I learned I wanted to be the best. I wanted to be great, and I learned immediately that I couldn't do it alone. I needed teammates, I needed players, and I needed a coach. And so I spent my whole life just chasing that dream. And that's another of the listen list why I love the Celtics, because the Celtics have always epitomized the team game.

And that's why I love Danny Age because although when we played with him, we never really thought of him, you know, because because he was the young guy, and he was the wild one, and he had always had the freshest legs and the freshest personality and so uh and so we would always teach them about that. But it's just a remarkable athlete, spectacular human being, and a brilliant leader. And I'm staggered and stunned and disappointed, frustrated and on the verge of anger that Danny Age is

not in the Basketball Hall of Fame. And it's very sad. I mean, I'll be coming to Boston, uh in the middle of May of this year as they started up the Basketball Hall of Fame ceremonies again. It's just gonna be wonderful to see all the guys again. On the Celtics team that I played on. There was you know, Red was in the Hall of Fame, Casey Jones was in the Hall of Fame, Larry Kevin Chief DJ they

wait until he died, which was just tragic. And there was a period of time when Dennis Johnson was the best guard in the world and he and he played like it as everybody, your career changes, things happen and you can't do what you used to do. And then he got on the Celtics and got to play with Larry, Kevin Chief and Danny and wow, what a team spectacular.

Speaking of that team, I mean we had Scotty Wedman, Scotty Wedman who there were times when Scott Wedman was the second greatest player on the planet, not on the team on the planet, and he couldn't even get in the game because when Casey Jones would try to substitute for Larry, Larry wouldn't come out. Scott would come run enough and he said, yea, I don't have my turn, and he's just on fire right and learns I'm not

coming out. You know, you just asked, what asked, which one of these other guys want to come out because I'm not coming out. But then then Scott would look back at the casey and say, just okay, Kevin, you come out, DJ you come out, and and we worked it out. What's your greatest Larry Bird memory? Our story in their endless I'm not into ranking, raiding and comparing things. I'm just into enjoying. But as great a player as Larry was, he was an even better human being. He

was the guy who inspired the crowd. I've never seen in all my years, I've never seen a player get the crowd going the way that Larry did. The home crowd in the in the garden, the road crowd too, because they used to come out. They used to come out and and cheer when he would miss in warmups when he was trying to, you know, loosen up, you'd throw up some shots and he missing. The crowd we're just cheering, you know, from the road to I thought they might get a win. That didn't happen. No, they

didn't happen. So with this game Portland's and and the Blazers last night, I mean the Blazers in Boston. Excuse me last night. I was reminded of the time that we were coming to an end of a road trip and the last game was going to be I believe, even in Portland, and Larry was was well known for predicting what he was gonna do on the road trips because we have these, you know, seven eight nine game

road trips. They say we're gonna win them all and I'm gonna average a triple double, and the reporters they yeah, right, and then he would go out into it right. And so it comes to when you have the game in Seattle the night before and the reporters come to him and there's all the same guys, because in those days, the reporters were part of the team, and it was fantastic. They traveled with this, stay in the same hotels, we

ate our meals together. It was just fantastic. They asked Larry, well, so, Larry, you come to the end of the road trip, what do you got in store. You've achieved all your milestones, and he said, I'm gonna play this game left handed, and they said yeah, right. So no, I'm gonna play left handed and if the game's endowed in the fourth quarter, I'll switch back to right hand, but he played the entire game left handed and he had a triple double. How insane is that here and that story. I mean,

I can't use my left hand right now. I couldn't them just to think that he did that and double, that's crazy. Everything he did was like that big perk, you know, it was it was like, you know, the things he would say. He was the greatest trash talker

of all time. John Wooden was number two. And his relationship with Red and his relationship with Diana's relationship with all the players, and you know the time I knocked Diana Bird out of playing that Hellenic College and they had to call nine one one if they even had nine one one in those days. I don't know. You know, you know when Larry came out here to San Diego after the championship, because and we just had the time of our lives and he was just so kind and

we did everything. And Larry used to travel with a guy who was an Indiana State trooper and they just kind of the State of Indiana just assigned Dr Route. I don't know what his name was, but his nick nickname was Dr Rouge. And we never found out that the root of that name. But he came out here at Oh my gosh, Raymail Kiori the trainer and Larry's assumption of responsibility just absolutely incredible, and uh, there was no one ever like him. And it's just so much

fun and such a privilege. But that don't let me diminish the contributions and effectiveness and us spectacular nature of the games of kel McHale and Robert Parrish and Dennis Johnson and you know that, and then the second string that has Scott Wedman. We mentioned him and Rick Carlyle, who has probably been the most successful of all the um of all the guys on that team, and they're in their post basketball career. You know, did Danny has

been very successful, but Danny stayed with the Celtics. You know, Rick is the Rick is the most unlikely of all the success stories, and what he has been able to do with Dallas and the head of the Coaches Association just absolutely spectacular and remarkable. Empty the futuris and then Jerry Season, you know, this magnificent player who went to the same high school that John Wooden went to. Then not in the same year, but they were friends and they were and Greg Kite and David Thirdkill and and

Sam Vincent and so it was. It was just a great, great and we had the perfect coach, a coach that we loved and we would do anything for. Who made it super fun. You know, all the great coaches, they make it fun. You can't you can't wait to get there. You know, it's a privilege to be a part of something so special and to be there and do what you do and have so much joy and happiness. And I remember that you asked about Larry because we played there was no film, no film at all, and there

was a minimal amount of scouting. And so if like when I played for John Woden, John Wooden in four years mentioned the other team twice. We lost for those games, thanks a lot of coach and this. You know, Jack Ramsey shoot around lasted twelve minutes. Twelve minutes and it was so incredibly organized. And then Casey Jones shoot around lasted eight minutes. And the second that Casey started talking about the other team, plays Larry and just say, okay,

that's for you guys. I've been going at the other end to work on my game. In case he was like, okay, that's it. Practice is over. Still, there's a legendary story that the story of the Grateful Dead concert has become legend of its own. Part of the six Team. I've been thinking about it now with you know the way we look back at history. Now we realize you're new coming to that team. You're a veteran, you're an All Star,

you're a champion. But that group have been together, and looking back at it now we're doing part of our series is about BOOMBOO two and the two thousand and eight team and how they all came together. I realized now looking back, that must have really been something for that group to kind of do your thing. It was a way for them to sort of welcome you into this elite group. I can't speak to that. I can only speak for myself. Yeah, tell me about it. I

don't speak for other people. And but I was going and they found out that I was going, and they said, can we come too? I think we can do something about that. I'm gonna go on since I was fifteen years old, and I can't wait too. I can't wait to go again. Larry and Kevin asked, you know I was standing there. I mean you don't want to hear the story again, do you. It's not about the story.

It's more about joining a group that had been together for a while, because Perk, you had veterans joined that new Big Three team throughout the course, you know, p J. Brown and Stefan Marbury and guys who had their own established careers, and you made them feel part of the group. And that always struck me as an important part of sort of team building team body. And it happened so early in that well. I begged and pleaded and ultimately

bought my way. And you know, once I had made the decision, this is where it comes back to stubbornness and pride. Once I had made the decision, I was on my way. Now, it took Red a long time to close the deal, but that was not Red's fault. Red was ready, but Donald Stirling, that's a different breed of human being that I would rather not be associated with.

The way it evolved was when I was when I got there and mL picked me up, I said, look, let's just go straight over the Chief's house because I got to talk to the chief and I gotta just let him know that I'm here to help you. I'm not I'm not here for anything else. You know. My job is to is to back you up. My job

is to lift the pain and ease the burden. And when Chief went into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and nothing was more shocking than when he asked me to be his presenter, and and I sat and used to sit right next to Chief in the locker room every day, and it was so much fun because this was the coolest dude ever, I mean last, the big perk there with that smile on his face, even his eye, and that was Chief and just just absolutely Chief was the

foundational pillar of the team. It wouldn't have worked without him because you had Larry and Kevin doing their things on either wing, and it was and that they were. You know, to win in the NBA, you have to have the best players, and you know, your best players have to outplay their best players. It's it's very simple. You know, where Larry and Kevin are gonna outplay Kareem and Magic Uh or Dr J and Moses and Charles,

you know we're gonna win. And they did that all the time, and their consistency, their durability was just was spectacular. Larry epitomized the notion of players may players, players don't players. That's really interesting to hear. And really, Bill, listening to you talk about not only Larry but the eighties six team perk. When you're listening to this, doesn't it sound a lot like how you would describe your experience on

that O eight team. Yeah, I mean the chemistry, different personalities. Um. But but the most important thing that I got from is that from what what what Bill was saying, well the legend himself was saying, is that guys were stars and they role and guys were okay with who they were.

And I think that's what makes a championship team, right, guys accepting their roles and being okay with who they are, blocking out the outside noise because at the end of the day, what you're trying to accomplish this bigger than one individual. Right. So that's why a lot of championships didn't work out, because you saw guy's egos get in a way. So I do see a similarity to the

most because we had a lot of different personalities. We had a lot of fun, We had them Boot two, we had the camaraderie, you know, we didn't have chief but we had KG, you know, and I mean you know, and we we we hung out. Man, we had fun. That was include my high school career. That was the

That was the fun. That was the most fun I ever had in the basketball season on and off the court, like we did everything together off the court, were twelve thirteen deep wherever we went, and the chemistry was just great. So I mean, yeah, I do. I'm here these similarities and I'm just blown away. But it don't surprise me because if you go back and watch that team played, they played like that we were super lucky and that we lived by the mantra happiness begins with selfishness ends.

And so here was this culture that read it created that Casey was driving on a constant basis to be joyous when somebody else is doing great. Larry would be going crazy. And Kevin, who we haven't spoken much about Kevin because you could have this whole conversation to be about Kevin as well, because you know, Kevin was the second greatest low post player I ever played against. And the only reason he wasn't better than Kareem was because

he wasn't as biggest Kareem. Kareem had probably five inches on Kevin. But nobody could guard Kevin and and and Kevin knew it. And Kevin was not afraid to say that to the other guys. And you know, he was an incredible trash talker as well. And but we were as soon as somebody got hot on the team, they got every ball and there was no challenges or problems with with feeding the hot hand there. And it's super refreshing to hear both of you who have the experience

of getting to the mountaintop. Bill you twice in the NBA, twice in college, Perk, you once in the NBA. I mean, you guys know what it takes. And being able to explain what that experience is like and what it really takes, the sacrifice and unselfishness from everyone on the team, it's just so refreshing to listen to. Nobody makes it to the top alone. It takes all you've got just to stay on the beat and the dream. As the broadcaster,

Big Perk has these opportunities himself. I got to be the broadcaster from Michael Jordan's I would ask him, you know, how much time do you spend on those spectacular players that nobody has seen before and nobody can describe. And those moves today have become incorporated into all the other players.

And that's the way evolution works. And the way that we grew up watching will to Bill Russell and Elgin and Jerry Willis Reid and Gus Johnson and Earl Monroe and have let Check and endless players who we idolized growing up and tried to play like them, and that just keeps going throughout the generations to where we are today. But when I asked Michael how much time and you spend on those spectacular plays, he looked at me with bewildered and he said, I, Bill, I don't spend a

second on any of those. Spend all my time on my fundamentals, on my foundation, on my physical fitness, on my footwork. But what I really spend my time on is the dream, the dream of how we're gonna get this done. You know, I look around who my teammates are, and I look around and see who they have, and then I just try to figure out how we're gonna win. And you know, that's what Steve Nash did, That's what

Bill Russell did the best part of life. The mental acuity that leads to the decision making process that allows you to choose the right path. And you're standing the fork of the road in conjunction with the emotional commitment that it takes and and how hard you have to work, and how much it's gonna take every everything you have,

and then as soon as it's over. And that's why people like David Stirr, eLearning Red Hour back and John wouldn't now Danny Age in that position, all these people in the position of leadership, they can never be happy because there's always another game. And when you're young, you don't look at it like that. But as you get older, you know, you you just try to keep it going,

you know, and you know you tend to live. Yeah, right now it's dud and and I'm a big believer in living in the moment of getting the job done, making each day your masterpiece. But there is the big picture and as you get older and you face ever increasing challenges and how much more it's going to take in your life to keep it going and to sustain the whole thing. And it is it's never easy, there is you know, it's every day in the NBA is a great day. Some days are better than others. It's

never easy. That's that's great perspective, Bill, and I feel like I can listen to you talk and give us perspective on life for hours and hours. It's it's been an unbelievable conversation. And just to hear how um two people from two totally different backgrounds but who accomplished similar things in you and perk to to talk about how you know, everything intersects um with being able to get to the top mark. When you're part of something special,

it changes you. It Ultimately, it defines who you are and you spend the rest of your life trying to chase that down and get back to it because it's incredibly hard to hold onto it. I had similar experiences at U C l A and in Portland's Celtics and with with the Grateful Debt and so to to to see that experience and you know, I've lived that. You know, I've been doing this since I was fifteen years old,

and I know that. You know, all the guys who played for John Wooden had exactly the same experience that I had, and that he was coached there for twenty seven years, even the guys that didn't win the Championships. Their experiences were the same. The guys who played on the Celtics when Read Our Back was was running the show, and the guys and and and the guys who played forever on the Celtics, because Wick and Steve have been able to create that culture and Danny has been able

to maintain that culture, and it's interchangeable. And with the Blazers, and you know, with the guys who you know, the different eras of greatness of the Blazers, and you have this this bond you know, the fans, the players, the management, the history, the business partners. It is spectacular. And that's

why we do what we do. That's why we're willing to go out and risk everything because we know how valuable, how important and how critical it is to our own level of confidence and self esteem and and and and the realization that being part of the team is really what it's all about. And the strength of the team is the strength of the individual. And that's why I am proud to be on this show and to stand on the broad shoulders a big person. Well yeah, another

great appearance from Bill Walton Bille. Thank you so much. Here the greatest storyteller of all time and uh we hope to continue to hear you telling these stories for years to come. I'm the luckiest guy live, I'm the luckiest guy on her