William Theodore Walton III was born on 5 November 1952 in La Mesa, California, USA. He is a retired NBA player, and then a television sportscaster. He is known for sustaining many injuries, leading to a short yet successful career in basketball.
So how rich is Bill Walton? Sources estimate his net worth to be $20 million, which he has earned from his former basketball playing days and his successful broadcasting career.
Bill Walton Net Worth $20 Million
Walton was born to parents William Theodore Walton and Gloria Anne Hickey. He played ball at Helix High School, winning the California Interscholastic Federation High School title for two consecutive years. Walton made history, becoming the first and only high school player to join the USA Senior Mens National Basketball Team and compete at the 1970 FIBA World Championship. After high school, he went on to play at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), coached by John Wooden. Nicknamed “The Big Redhead”, he led the team to victory, with undefeated and back-to-back National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in 1972 and 1973. He became the recipient of numerous awards including the James E. Sullivan Award, United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) College Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year and earned the Academic All-American honors three times. He is considered by many to be the greatest-ever basketball player at the college level.
Upon graduating from UCLA, Walton became the number one overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1974 NBA Draft. However, in his first two seasons, he sustained several injuries. In the 1976-1977 season, he played a total of 65 games and was the season’s best rebounder, being named to the NBA’s First All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA Second Team. He and his team claimed the championship against the Philadelphia 76ers, in which he was named the Finals MVP. The following season, the team won 50 out of 60 games before Walton suffered a succession of foot and ankle injuries. Nevertheless, he won the season’s league MVP and the Sporting News NBA MVP awards. He played his only All-Star Game in 1978 and was named to both the NBA’s First All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA First Team. Walton was injured again in the playoffs in what would be his last game with the team. Without him, the Blazers lost the series to the Seattle SuperSonics in six games.
In 1979, Walton signed a free-agent contract with the San Diego Clippers but was able to play only 14 games that season, and was absent in the next two years after another round of injuries. He came back and played for the Boston Celtics during the 1985-1986 season, playing a career-high of 80 games. The Celtics won the NBA Championship, and Walton was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the only player to be awarded the NBA Finals MVP, Sixth Man Award, and regular season MVP. He was only able to play 10 games the following season, and then quit after trying to make comeback in the 1988-1989 season. He officially retired with a record of 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
In 1993, Walton was inducted into both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. His jersey number 32 was retired by the Blazers and UCLA in addition to being enshrined in the UCLA Hall of Fame. He was also included to the San Diego Hall of Champions. In 1996, Walton was recognized as one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of all time.
Following his retirement as a player, Walton overcame a stuttering problem and became an NBC commentator NBC, the Los Angeles Clippers, ABC, and ESPN. After nineteen years in broadcasting, he quit due to back problems he sustained from injuries as early as his UCLA days. After undergoing surgery, he returned to become a part-time commentator for the Sacramento Kings from 2010-2012. He also became a game analyst for the Pac-12 basketball coverage in 2012. He remains active as a coach in basketball clinics and camps, as well as in his broadcasting career. His net worth is still growing.
Walton currently lives in San Diego with his second wife Lori Matsuoka. He has four sons from his first marriage to Susan Guth(1973-89) – his son, Luke Walton played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2003 to 2012, and won back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and 2010.
