40 Bill Walton Quotes On Basketball, Life, The Celtics & Music

motivational quotes Jun 18, 2024

The very best Bill Walton quotes:

Bill Walton was well-known in the world of basketball, as a player and later as a broadcaster.

As a player, Walton first gained national attention at UCLA, where he played under the legendary coach John Wooden.

During his time at UCLA, Walton led the Bruins to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973. He won the Naismith College Player of the Year award three times.

Walton was then drafted as the number one overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974. He led the Blazers to their first NBA championship in 1977 and was named the NBA Finals MVP for his performance.

Unfortunately, Walton's career was plagued by injuries. Over his 14 year career, he missed over 700 games.

Even so, Walton managed to win another championship, helping the 1986 Boston Celtics to a ring while being awarded the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award that year.

Beyond his playing career, Bill Walton made a name for himself as a basketball broadcaster. He was known for his colorful, insightful, and to say the least - unique commentary.

Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

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Motivational Bill Walton Quotes

1. "Life is easy when you're hot. But what happens when the ball bounces the other way? You just keep getting back up and climbing up."

2. "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."

3. "You don't win championships by just being normal, by just being average."

4. "A lot of people understand what not saying anything means, so, in effect, not saying anything is really saying a lot."

5. "Life is about growth. People are not perfect when they're 21 years old."

6. "I can think. I can sleep. I can move. I can ride my bike. I can dream."

7. "Never rank, rate, or compare coaches, children, concerts, or championships or congratulations. Just enjoy them all."

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Funny Bill Walton Quotes

8. "If you ever think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never spent a night in bed with a mosquito or you’ve never played basketball against Taylor from Utah, number 11 in your program, number one in your heart."

9. "I auditioned for Chewbacca. They said, 'No, but we're gonna model the character after you.'"

10. "John Stockton is one of the true marvels, not just of basketball, or in America, but in the history of Western Civilization!"

11. "I drove a Toyota in college. Either a Corolla or a corona, I don’t remember."

12. "Come on, that was no foul! It may be a violation of all the basic rules of human decency, but it’s not a foul."

13. "You look at Vladimir Radmanovic, this guy is cut from stone. It’s as if Michelangelo were reading and a lightning bolt flashed before him."

14. "The art of tossing up the jump ball has really declined. These officials need to spend more time practicing in the offseason."

15. "A thing of beauty! Einstein, Da Vinci, Jobs! And now Tyreke Evans!"

16. "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."

17. "Yesterday we celebrated Sir Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity. Today, Fabricio Oberto is defying it."

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Bill Walton Quotes About Basketball And The Celtics

18. "Winning is about having the whole team on the same page."

19. "I lived to play basketball. Growing up as a kid, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics were my favorite team. The way they played, the teamwork, the sacrifice, the commitment, the joy, the camaraderie, the relationship with the fans."

20. "Without question, no hesitation, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the best player I ever played against."

21. "I have nothing but respect for the Lakers. So many of their legends shaped who I am as a person and player."

22. "We can never thank David Stern enough. His vision to use basketball to improve the quality of our lives to make this world a better and saner place, that guy, is the most important man in the history of basketball."

23. "Basketball is one of those rare opportunities where you can make a difference, not only for yourself, but for other people as well."

24. "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."

25. "No one missed more basketball in the history of NBA than I did. I played 14 seasons, on the roster for 14 years, and I missed more than nine-and-a-half full seasons."

26."Bill Russell was my favorite player of all-time."

27. "Chick Hearn was my favorite broadcaster ever - he's the one who taught me to think basketball, how to love basketball."

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Bill Walton Quotes About Broadcasting

28. "The great thing about being a broadcaster is you have this incredible responsibility to the people that make it all happen, the people that turn on the television set."

29. "Being a broadcaster encompasses the business of sport, which is my life today, and it encompasses the skills of being a history student, and the ability of being a performer."

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Bill Walton Quotes About Music

30. "Music is critical in our lives and culture. It's the inspiration that drives us. It's also the window to our souls. It's a reflection as to who we are, what we stand for and where we're going."

31. "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."

32. "I had the only beard in the Western Hemisphere that made Bob Dylan's look good."

33. "I grew up in an non-athletic family, where my parents were interested in music, in literature, in education and art."

34. "The Grateful Dead, they're my best friends. Their message of hope, peace, love, teamwork, creativity, imagination, celebration, the dance, the vision, the purpose, the passion all of the things I believe in makes me the luckiest Deadhead in the world."

Other Bill Walton Quotes

35. "I've had 36 orthopedic operations, have two fused ankles, my knees, hands and wrists don't work, I now have a fused spine, other than that, everything is great."

36. "My life changed irrevocably four-and-a-half years ago when my spine failed and collapsed. I spent two years on the floor, in excruciating, debilitating and unrelenting pain. I can only describe the pain as being submerged into a vat of scalding acid that has an electric current running through it. And you can never get out, ever."

37. "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."

38. "When you are in unrelenting, excruciating and debilitating pain that never goes away for years on end, your life is over."

39. "My bike is my gym, my wheelchair and my church all in one. I'd like to ride my bike all day long but I've got this thing called a job that keeps getting in the way."

40. "I'm a lifelong stutterer."

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