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ESPN's Mike Breen Shares Emotional Story Involving His Father And Bill Walton

Shandel Richardson

David Frerker-USA TODAY Sports

The death of NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton has brought out some emotional stories about the legend.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Mike Breen shared a touching moment between his father and Walton.

"I’ve been sharing this story for about 15 years now when anybody asks me ‘What is Bill Walton like?'” Breen said NBA on ESPN. “It has to do with my family, but it is a great way to show what Bill was all about. My Dad had Parkinson’s Disease and it started to get advanced to the point where we were afraid he wouldn’t be able to travel much. My younger brother Pete gave me a great idea. Before Dad can’t travel, why don’t we take him out to San Diego where the U.S.S. Midway is stationed as a museum? My Dad was stationed on the Midway during the Korean War and had not been on the aircraft carrier since he left the service. So, we made plans to go. Bill lived in San Diego, so I called him to get a hotel recommendation. Of course, Bill said ‘You’re not staying at a hotel, you’re staying with me’. I convinced my father and brother and we were going to spend three days at Bill’s house. For the next three days, he did not leave my father’s side. Wherever we went, Bill was seated right next to my father. When it came time to go to the Midway, we thought we were just gonna go and buy tickets like everybody does that wants to take the tour. Bill called in advance and said that one of your heroes is returning to the ship he served on. The commander of the Midway was the one who greeted us.”

Walton, who died at 71, was among the most well-respected men in league history.

“By the end of the three days, Bill wasn’t my friend, he was my father’s friend," Breen said. "When he came back, he didn’t live much longer than that. But that’s all he talked about. They were the best three days of the late years of his life. Bill made them the best three days.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com