What is Bill Walton’s Net Worth and Salary?
Bill Walton, retired American professional basketball player and television sportscaster, has a net worth of $20 million. He rose to fame during his college years with the UCLA Bruins and later joined the Portland Trail Blazers in the 70s. In 1977, he was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player and helped lead the Trail Blazers to a championship. He won another title in 1986 with the Boston Celtics, despite struggling with injuries throughout his career.
After retiring from basketball, Walton became a popular sportscaster, known for overcoming a stuttering problem. He worked as a color commentator for ESPN.
Early Life and Basketball Journey
Bill Walton was born on November 5th of 1952 in La Mesa, California. He took music lessons as a child but later gravitated towards sports. Walton began his basketball journey in elementary school and played with his older brother Bruce in high school. Despite his potential, Walton suffered several injuries during his high school years, including knee surgery. He attended UCLA on a basketball scholarship and scored 44 points out of 22 attempts in the best NCAA Championship game he ever played against Memphis State in 1973.
Bill Walton’s NBA Career Highlights
In 1974, Bill Walton was selected as the number-one overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite early injuries, he performed well as a rookie within his first two years. In the 1976-77 season, he and the team led by new head coach Jack Ramsay reached the NBA Finals and won the championship, with Walton named as the Most Valuable Player of the finals. Injuries continued to be an issue for him, leading to a demand for a trade to the San Diego Clippers. He struggled with injuries during the first few seasons, but eventually returned to his top potential in the mid-80s. After joining the Boston Celtics, he played mostly as a substitute, but still contributed to the team’s NBA title win in 1986. This marked the end of his playing career.
Bill Walton’s NBA Salary
During his NBA career, Bill Walton earned a total of roughly $3 million in salary, which is equivalent to around $7.5 million in today’s dollars.
His highest-paying season was 1984-1985 when he earned $1.35 million from the Clippers. He then earned $425,000 per season for his three seasons with the Boston Celtics.
Bill Walton’s Career and Achievements
Bill Walton, who overcame a stuttering problem with the help of broadcaster Marty Glickman, began his broadcasting career with CBS in the early 90s. He later worked with NBC and became best known for his work with ESPN. He left ESPN in 2009 for treatment of a back injury, but returned to his commentating work on a sporadic basis after receiving surgery on his back.
During his commentating career, Bill became known for his catchphrases and also hosted a satellite radio show called “One More Saturday Night.” He received an Emmy Award for his commentating work in 2001 and has received other honors and accolades as well.
After retiring from his playing career, Bill released a memoir called “Back from the Dead: Searching for the Sound, Shining the Light and Throwing it Down,” which made it onto the “New York Times” bestseller list for two weeks after its release.
Bill Walton’s Injury Woes
Bill Walton’s ankle injuries were so severe that he had to undergo surgery to fuse them. The injuries were caused by excessive use of painkillers prescribed by various doctors during his playing career. In 2009, Walton underwent an 8-hour surgical procedure to fuse his spine, which involved the insertion of titanium rods. Though the surgery was successful, he was unable to move freely for a year after the procedure.
Bill Walton’s San Diego Home
In 2010, Bill and his wife purchased a home in San Diego for $3.2 million. Today, the value of the home has increased significantly and is estimated to be worth upwards of $5-6 million.
Marriage and Children
Bill Walton was married to Susan Guth from 1979 to 1989. In 1991, he married Lori Matsouka. He has four sons with Guth, including Luke Walton, who became an NBA star and coach.
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