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Bill walton gay

By TOM SHANAHAN

The first time I met the late-great Bill Walton — other than the confines of player-reporter exchange in an NBA locker room — was at cozy Walton Garden.

Walton Garden consisted of a glass backboard hanging over the home’s two-car garage in the shadow of the San Diego Zoo. The concrete court was obscured from the lane by 7-foot-high hedges parallel to the street. The other out of bounds, so to say, was the house’s wall with a side door.

This was no fancy court a father built to groom his kids. The lighting was nothing more than fixtures on the house and the garage. This was backyard basketball — other than concession to the glass backboard.

I visited Walton Garden in 1994 to note a story for the San Diego Union-Tribune on Bill and his four basketball-playing sons: Adam, 12th grade, Nate, 10th, Luke, 8th; and Chris 6th.

Time spent with Bill Walton’s undefinable individuality becomes engrained in anyone, and media members are recounting their tales accompanying unexpected news of Walton’s death from colon cancer. He died Monday at age 71.

He was a two-time NCAA champion at UCLA and two-time NBA champion with the Po

The love in Bill Walton's voice when speaking about his four sons was unforgettable

One day, about 15 years ago, my phone rang. The voice on the other line was distinct. “MISTER FREEEEEMANNNNN. Stop what you’re doing and let’s talk, brother.”

It was Bill Walton.

I reached out to Walton about a biography that I was writing on Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. Part of the manual was about the closeness Bowden had with his family, and what it was like when your sons, the people you like so much, access the frantic and sometimes harsh planet of coaching. Bowden had three sons and they each coached in college like dad.

Walton’s four sons entered the family business as well with Luke playing and coaching in the NBA. He won two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and later coached both the Lakers and Sacramento. Walton's other sons played as well. It was a right basketball family.

Remembering a legend: Bill Walton, Hall of Famer and UCLA excellent, dies at age 71

There have been many amazing tributes to Walton, all of them key and worthy, but I wanted to focus on one aspect of his life you may not know as much about: his relationship with those sons.

When Walton, who died this week at

Bill Walton

9 Appearances
Former Basketball Player

Videos 9

  • Remembering John Wooden; René Redzepi
    Sports, FoodAir Date 06/11/2010
    Charlie remembers former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden; René Redzepi, head chef of Noma, on Nordic cuisine.
  • Mark Malloch Brown; Maleeha Lodhi; Kiefer Sutherland; Bill Walton
    World, Entertainment, SportsAir Date 12/06/2001
    Mark Malloch Brown on Kabul; Maleeha Lodhi on Pakistan; star Kiefer Sutherland; sportscaster Bill Walton.
  • Bill Walton
    SportsAir Go out 12/06/2001
    NBC sportscaster Bill Walton talks about his book, "At the Buzzer! The Greatest Moments in NBA History."
  • John Wooden; John Wooden Panel
    SportsAir Meet 12/15/2000
    John Wooden reflects on his famed college coaching career; the conversation continues with Wooden and former players Bill Walton and Bill Russell.
  • John Wooden Panel
    SportsAir Date 12/15/2000
    A celebration of John Wooden's career, with former UCLA coach John Wooden and NBA all-stars Bill Walton and Bill Russell.
  • Bill Walton
    SportsAir Date 06/22/1999
    Sportscaster Bill Walton makes his predictions

    Who is Bill Walton’s wife, Lori?

    NBA LEGEND Bill Walton married Lori Matsuoka in 1991.

    He passed away on May 27, 2024, and is survived by his second wife.

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    Who is Bill Walton's wife, Lori?

    Bill Walton and Lori Matsuoka were married for over 30 years at the time of his death.

    She is known for her dedication to several charities and causes.

    According to the San Diego Tribune, Lori serves on nine nonprofit boards and sits on six nonprofit committees.

    She has also chaired fundraising events for groups serving the arts, children, animals, and the military.

    In 2015, she donated 12 inches of her own hair to Locks of Love during the Salvation Army Auxiliary Women of Dedication awards event.

    Who was Bill Walton and what was his cause of death?

    Bill Walton was best famous as an NBA Hall of Fame inductee and two-time NBA champion.

    Throughout his illustrious career, he played for the Portland Route Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. 

    He retired at the age of 34 in 1987 and later transitioned to sportscasting, which earned him an Emmy Award in 1991.

    On May 27, 2024, he passed away after battling with cancer at the age of 71.

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    Was Bill