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UCLA Basketball: Recalling the High School Game That Punched Bill Walton's Ticket to Westwood

Walton was a legend while at UCLA.

Maren Angus-Coombs

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
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Bill Walton loved his teammates. He relished their success and was prouder to dish out assists and win games together than how many points he scored.

Bill Center worked part-time for the San Diego Union since 1964 when he was introduced to an awkward sophomore on the junior varsity basketball team at Helix High School in 1967. When Center first saw Walton, he hadn’t grown into his body. He was going through a growth spurt and his knees and ankles hadn’t caught up to his height. Center described that time in the San Diego Union-Tribune as the following:

During his sophomore and junior years at Helix, his playing time was limited under doctor’s orders. But he was promoted to the varsity during the 1968 CIF playoffs and became a dominant player during the 1968-69 season.

When Walton debuted for the varsity squad, his career took off. Center remembers the exact game when he realized that was witnessing one of the best to ever play high school basketball in the state of California.

It was on New Year’s Eve of 1969," writes Center in the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Helix was playing Pasadena in the championship game of the Covina Tournament. Pasadena was regarded as the No. 1 team in California. Before the game, Nash (head coach) told Walton, “I need you to take charge.”

Walton responded with 50 points, 34 rebounds and nine blocked shots. Helix won 110-68.

UCLA assistant coach Denny Crum attended that game and when he returned to Westwood he told John Wooden, “I just saw the greatest high school player I’ve ever seen.”

The of Walton's career is history but for Center, his greatest memories will be from a shy and stuttering high school basketball player who went on to be on of the game's loudest voices.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite being raised in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer for the LA Sports Report Network.

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