A Legend Both On And Off The Court

Bill Walton: The Grateful Dead's Biggest Fan

A Legend Both On and Off the Court

Bill Walton, the gregarious NBA star who became an ESPN commentator and was well known as a dedicated fan of the Grateful Dead, has passed away. Walton, who died Monday at age 71, was a character that Carlisle thinks will always stand alone.

A Unique and Unforgettable Character

Walton was a 6-foot-11 redhead curiosity seeker, Grateful Dead fan, and TV analyst who just happened to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2001, he was inducted into the Grateful Dead Hall of Honor, something the basketball Hall-of-Famer and 2x NBA All-Star described as "the greatest honor of my life."

Walton was a proud Deadhead. The basketball great who died Monday at age 71 following a prolonged cancer battle was famously a huge fan of the band, and his love for their music was evident in both his personal life and his public persona.