BILL WALTON
Basketball Legend, Broadcaster, Humanitarian, and Survivor
SPEAKS ABOUT
Overcoming Obstacles to Success • Teamwork & Culture • Chasing Your Dream • Coping with Health Issues • How Champions Compete • Mental Health • Resilience • Leadership Lessons from the Court • Patient-related Topics
Summary
Basketball legend Bill Walton is one of sports’ most recognizable and beloved figures. His success on the court is well-documented; the nation’s top college basketball star at UCLA under legendary coach John Wooden, he then played for two NBA Championship teams – the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. But Bill’s nightmarish challenges off the court are less known. He stuttered so badly he couldn’t say a simple “thank you” until he was 28 years old. And a foot disorder led to 39 surgeries on his feet, legs, and back – keeping him sidelined over half of his NBA career. Armed with grit and a positive outlook, Bill improbably overcame it all. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA named him to the “50 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time” (1997) and “75 Greatest Players in NBA History” (2021) lists. After his playing career, Bill pursued broadcasting; he currently covers Pac-12 games for ESPN and the Pac-12 Network, and his alternate game telecast, Throw it Down with Bill Walton, debuted on NBA League Pass in 2023. Bill Walton has led a life of humility in service of inspiring others. His autobiography, Back from the Dead, was a New York Times bestseller and he is perhaps the best-known Deadhead, having seen over 1,000 shows.
SPEECH THEMES
COMPETING TO WIN
DREAM BIG
LEADERSHIP
CONFRONTING ADVERSITY
FLAWLESS EXECUTION
TEAMS AND CHARACTER
RESILIENCE
CHARACTER MATTERS
IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
DEFINING SUCCESS
HEALTHCARE
THE MAKING OF A LEGEND
6 KEY MINDSETS
SPEECH DESCRIPTIONS
LIFE HAPPENS – STAYING JOYFUL IS A CHOICE
Disappointment and troubles are a part of life. But whatever happens to us – remaining joyful is a choice. Bill Walton knows something about that topic. 39 orthopedic surgeries, half his NBA career spent on the injured list, unable to utter two words together without stuttering until he was 28, overcoming that lifelong stutter in order to pursue his dream career of sports broadcaster…it’s been quite a journey for Bill. He could have lost hope but the famed humanitarian and Deadhead (over 1,200 shows seen) is a man who lives by the mantra – “things work out best for people who make the best of the way things work out.” Bill inspires audiences to keep perspective and cultivate the habit of finding joy in the simple things. In fact, his story of resilience and positivity is the theme of the multi-episode ESPN 30 for 30 bio documentary called ‘The Luckiest Guy in the World.’ Audiences will walk away feeling inspired by Bill’s example and motivated to choose joy in their own lives, no matter what life throws their way.
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
“Those not willing to risk going too far will never know how far they can go.” Those words from Bill Walton sum up his philosophy of life. At 6’ 11” in his Grateful Dead tie-dyed t-shirt, Bill Walton is one of the most recognizable and colorful sports legends ever. He also has one of the greatest can-do attitudes you’ll ever encounter. It’s a mindset he’s cultivated and he gives it credit for helping him adapt, persevere, and ultimately succeed in challenges on and off the court. Named one of “50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time,” Bill incredibly missed 9½ of his 14 NBA seasons due to injuries related to orthopedic problems. Despite that, his achievements on the court were enormous. When his storied career ended with his 30th surgery, Bill’s dream was to pursue sports broadcasting. One problem: a severe lifelong stutter that prevented him from even saying a simple “thank you.” Undeterred, Bill set about the task of learning to speak. He conquered stuttering and found a place behind the mic – earning numerous awards and honors since. Bill’s greatest test came in 2007 when severe back pain confined him to the floor of his home for 2½ years. Finally relenting to surgery in 2009, the grueling rehab and recovery from that 37th surgery could well be Bill’s biggest achievement. While Bill exclaims regularly, “I’m the luckiest guy on Earth,” it’s clear his outlook on life helped create that luck. Bill loves to inspire audiences to rise to the challenge of seeing just how far they can go.
WHAT GREAT COACHES TAUGHT ME ABOUT LEADERSHIP
Basketball icon Bill Walton was part of legendary college and NBA championship teams: UCLA, the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers. He was also part of the last place San Diego Clippers. According to Bill, the difference between winning and losing was leadership. The best coaches knew how to get the best out of their players. In Bill’s career no one was better than legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. An English teacher who coached on the side for extra money, Wooden focused on the fundamentals. He never talked about winning – and rarely even mentioned the opposing team. Wooden did insist that players work together, not be selfish, execute flawlessly, and be accountable for doing their best. Armed with that approach Wooden went on to win 88 consecutive games (a men’s collegiate record which still stands) and ten national championships. Bill, the consummate storyteller, shares tales that are as insightful as they are entertaining – about lessons of leadership he learned from John Wooden, Red Auerbach, Jack Ramsey, and others during his storied career. Bill provides an inside look at how world-class performance is really achieved on the basketball court – leadership and teamwork lessons based on principles that transfer off the court, too.
CREATE A TEAM THAT ROCKS
What separates great teams from everyone else? Basketball legend Bill Walton knows and speaks from experience. Bill played on two championship teams under revered UCLA coach John Wooden. Those teams contributed to the Bruins’ 88-game winning streak, still the record in men’s basketball more than 40 years later. Bill was also a two-time NBA champion; with the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. Of course, it’s not possible to appreciate great teamwork unless you’ve seen the other side of that coin and Bill experienced that as well during his time with the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers. After Bill’s playing days ended, broadcasting offered him the perfect perch from which to watch extraordinary teams perform. Throughout his business endeavors, Bill applied the teamwork lessons he learned from sports with astonishing success. In this keynote speech, Bill talks about the essentials of teams that rock – cooperation, friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, discipline, execution, and leadership – with humorous and revealing anecdotes. As one of the most colorful characters from the sports world, Bill Walton delivers an inspiring message for teams looking to take their performance to the next level.
Resources
BILL'S VIDEO LIBRARY
BILL'S ASSETS
Follow Bill on Social Media
FEATURED MEDIA
• The New Yorker: Bill Walton Throws It Down
• Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF): A Chance Encounter with Bill Walton
• Wit and Wisdom of Bill Walton
• ABC News – NBA Legend Bill Walton’s Career Advice: ‘You Cannot Finish Unless You Start’
• Bronze Statue Honors Hometown Hero Bill Walton
• NY Times Magazine – Bill Walton’s Long Strange Tale of NBA Survival
IN PRINT
TESTIMONIALS
“We can’t thank you enough for hosting such a fun evening of conversation with “Dr. J” for United Cardmembers. Thank you for giving our Cardmembers such a memorable experience. You were so positive, knowledgeable, and had amazing energy throughout the entire event. You were a true pleasure to work with and we look forward to working together again, hopefully in person next time.”
“Bill, you’ve made an impression. We do an annual conference for our attendees – we’re just getting to know Bill Walton, it’s going to be hard pressed to have him be a one and done with us. He’s a champion, and we’re surrounded by champions with our customers and in this business. Don’t be surprised if Bill makes one more comeback and it’s in the RLDatix uniform at an event to be determined.”
“…your message hit home about working through life’s difficulty especially during a very difficult 2020. Thanks again for working with us. It was both a pleasure and honor to meet one of my favorite athletes of all time. And then to discover one of my favorite athletes is a genuinely good person just topped the cake.”
“Your message was right on, and so interesting, and so well delivered…I was literally clapping at the end —alone in my office.”
“You were great. The response today has been tremendous. My wife and 16-year old grandson were listening. You answered his question. He identified all the people in the pictures for my wife. I have a lot to thank you for not just from Comport but as a grandfather. I’m cool.”
“Your comments to the “Awesome + Excellent” network sales force were incredibly well received. The team was thrilled to take pictures and your patience in autographing the t-shirts went above and beyond. So happy you were able to join us – it was an honor.’
“What a special night! I thank you again for sharing your life, your passions, and pouring your soul out to us last night. It was incredibly moving and we all appreciate your time with us. I also really enjoyed our one on one time when it was all said and done. You exceeded my expectations. Everyone continued to talk about you today at the conference.”
“What a fantastic presentation you shared with our team at Plug and Play this week. Your message was inspirational and everyone raved about how much they enjoyed the time with you. I love how open and honest you were and how you conveyed your message through storytelling.”
“Bill was fantastic! The crowd loved him and it was great to get to know him. He stayed for the entire night, signed autographs, took pictures. I’ll have to think about our future events and hope to have him again!”
“Bill was fantastic! He was easy to work with, very approachable and his passion about health and the healthcare industry was evident throughout his speech. Although we asked him to be at the venue about 25 minutes before his speech, he came early to hear our CEO speak and also stopped by our Women’s Leadership Panel earlier in the morning, which was much appreciated. Additionally, Bill is an inspiration and everyone walked away from the speech commenting about how engaged they were throughout the whole hour. We’d definitely work with him again!”
“He’s funny………boy did he COMMIT to the event. He came to our opening reception for like 2 hours and sat and talked to people! And he stayed after he spoke and took pictures for a full hour. He really was super about doing anything we asked of him. “
“To be honest, our board of directors questioned my recommendation of Bill as the keynote speaker. After the event, they apologized for questioning me…profusely. We are not sure how we will top Bill’s passion and the memorable delivery he gave at next year’s event. Bill was a true professional and took the time to study our issue and audience like no speaker I have booked before. We are still getting comments on how good the program was months after the fact. I give my highest recommendation for Bill Walton as a keynote or corporate speaker, amazing.”
“So many raves! The response to our event has been awesome. Your speech was upbeat and on target! I wish I had your recall for names! You also impressed a great many people by staying an extra hour and a half to sign autographs and take more pictures. Not one guest in 22 years has done that.”
“Bill Walton was great. Personable, entertaining, professional, welcoming, interesting. We had great feedback about him. He was a real pleasure to work with. At our Thursday night reception, he stayed until 930 or so! He spoke to everyone who came up to him. That night, he signed everything we gave him. He was an overwhelming success!”
“From the bottom of my heart, Thank You. Your talk was wonderful. The crowd loved you. It touched on such important and current topics. Lunch was amazing! There aren’t enough words. All I can say is, “Let’s do it again!”…soon!”
“I have never received more positive feedback about one of our guest speakers and please believe me when I say a room full of lawyers is a very tough crowd. In describing your presentation, I heard the words “inspiring,” “motivating,” “positivity” and “amazing” multiple times.”
“It was an amazingly, spectacular event with Mr. Walton. Our customers and guests were blown away with his genuineness — intelligence — outlook on life and compassion toward others — and their “one and lifetime” opportunity to meet a living legend. Bill went out of his way to make EVERY person in the room feel like they mattered — and he personally spent time talking to each of them. Simply unbelievable, which an email can not describe.”
“Bill’s performance at our event was funny, insightful, authentic and captivating. He carefully tied in the principles he was talking about with the characteristics of our firm, for which we owe him a large debt of gratitude.”