UCLA Basketball: Legendary Deadhead Bill Walton’s Life Was Guided By Rock Voices

Bill Walton always had a smile on his face.

The UCLA Bruins lost a legend a little over a month ago when former center Bill Walton passed away. Walton was one of the better players to ever play for the Bruins and he is missed every day.

He played three years with the Bruins, averaging 20.3 points and 15.7 rebounds per game. Walton went on to have a great NBA career, winning two NBA titles. He won one with the Portland Trail Blazers and one with the Boston Celtics throughout his career.

But Walton was always guided throughout his career by his love of rock music. He was famously a big fan of the band The Grateful Dead and was a staple at the shows throughout his life.

"Walton reportedly had attended more than 850 shows since 1967, including when the Dead played in front of the Great Pyramids in Egypt in 1978. As a broadcaster for ESPN, Walton often inserted references to the band in his color commentary during games."

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He had a friendship with the band and was one of the more famous fans over the years. Walton never let anyone tell him what he couldn't do and was simply himself through it all.

Walton is one of the most famous former Bruins to grace the basketball court and his memory still can be found within the game of basketball.

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