Bill Walton was our first Founding Athlete Advisor. He immediately grasped the concept and importance of what we wanted to create. Bill passed away on May 27, 2024, leaving a larger-than-life legacy, both personal and professional. Bill, your indomitable spirit will be missed, but it will live on in countless ways, including through the creation of the National Sports Museum. 

Bill is one of only five players in men's basketball history to have won multiple NCAA and multiple NBA Championships. Bill went to UCLA as a scholarship player for John Wooden, winning three NCAA Player of the Year awards and helping UCLA to consecutive undefeated championships and a record 88-game winning streak. Bill is a member of the All-Time NCAA Men's Basketball Team. 

Walton was selected as the #1 overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. His Portland Trail Blazers won the 1977 NBA Championship, earning him the NBA Finals MVP. He then was selected as the NBA MVP for the following season. Bill won another NBA title, playing with the Boston Celtics in 1986, and was named the NBA's 6th Man of the Year that season. Bill is a member of the All-Time NBA Team, both NBA@50 and NBA@75. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. As a retiree, Walton received the NBPA's Oscar Robertson Leadership Award and the NBA Retired Players' Association Humanitarian Award. Bill has been inducted into numerous other halls of fame, including USA High Schools, NCAA, NCAA Academic All-America, UCLA, Pac-12, Oregon, San Diego, California, New England, as well as Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Guinness, and Grateful Dead. Quite an eclectic mix as Bill was someone who left an indelible impact on whatever he was passionate about in life.

When Bill could no longer play basketball, he started, in his own words, a "most unlikely career" as a multimedia broadcaster, a career that spanned over 30 years. Bill worked for virtually every major network and platform, including ESPN for many years. Bill is a multi-Emmy Award-winning on-air talent. He is also a New York Times Best Selling author, with his memoir, Back From The Dead. A huge music fan, along with his wife Lori, he traveled and toured extensively with his favorite bands, especially the Grateful Dead. 

Bill was the Executive Director of San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI), and an active board member of CleanTech San Diego (CTSD). Bill was active in many philanthropic endeavors, and most recently co-founded the global initiative, Bike For Humanity, a virtual biking fundraiser for nonprofits that benefit children. Walton was a long-term advocate for clean energy and did his part by powering his home with solar, collecting rainwater, driving electric vehicles, and representing companies as a solar evangelist. 

Bill, thank you for everything you did to make this world a better place. Rest in peace and know that your spirit will continue to guide this project to fruition.