Episode 151 - Bill Walton (Nuggets NBA Finals Special)

Rundown - 

 

Bill Walton - 05:49

 

Troubadour Dave Gunders - 01:27:44

 

"The Rebound" by Dave Gunders - 01:49:27

 

Legendary Hall of Fame hoopster, broadcaster, and author Bill Walton joins the show as Nuggets - Heat take center stage in the NBA Finals. Easy Game One victory for Nuggets, led by their superstars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

 

Walton authored Back from the Dead, his outstanding memoir chronicling the way he overcame pain. Bill Walton has special affection for players like Jamal Murray (knee), MPJ (spine), and Jeff Green (heart) for overcoming health challenges.

 

Learn about the critical moments along the way in 1977 when Walton’s Trailblazers won the NBA, and the Big Redhead was MVP and Finals MVP. They broke Denver hearts along the way. Walton was Sixth Man of the Year (85-86) as he helped Larry Bird and Boston win the championship.

 

Craig and Bill discuss this most exciting and consequential week in Colorado basketball history and Bill's connection to the Denver Nuggets. They talk about Bill's love of Colorado and the many ways he fantasizes and experiences the Centennial State.

 

Walton well knows Neon Deion Sanders from professional work together. Find out why Walton thinks CU made a great move hiring Sanders. CU-Boulder’s new head football coach is an exemplary leader and a welcome addition to Walton’s Pac-12 - the Conference of Champions.

 

Listen as Bill Walton drops names of prominent Nuggets past and present. Bill Walton loves and respects Spencer Haywood, and Ralph Simpson, from back in Denver Rockets days. He competed against David Thompson in college and pros. Dan Issel gave Bill fits. But the Blazers destroyed Denver’s title dreams in 1977.

 

Great debate about competitiveness of the Heat-Nuggets series emerges. Bill Walton knows and respects Pat Riley from his days in San Diego. We talk about whether a good big man can still dominate, as in Nikola Jokic.

 

The Big Redhead waxes poetic describing the combination of natural forces which produced something so fantastic as the Big Honey (Jokic), Denver’s double MVP. Bill Walton explains how Steve Nash got screwed out of his third straight MVP which is rarified air befitting his pal Larry Bird.

 

When the subject turns to race, Walton, now age 70, has sage advice. Ignore it just like Nikola Jokic has. Walton recommends books, including Spencer Haywood: The Rise, the Fall, the Recovery and Loud Hawk: The United States vs. The American Indian Movement. We discuss Kareem too.

 

Find out what an eloquent, charming, and wise man Bill Walton is in this special NBA Finals edition. The show is also on video so you can check it out that way on YouTube. Rarely will you see grown men smiling so much. It’s not everyday that such a legendary guest appears.

 

Troubadour Dave Gunders and his music appear in every episode. This week, catch Dave on video and hear his fine song, The Rebound. The sad Cleveland family of Denver shooting victim Shmuel Silverberg is remembered with this sad song as his murderer received 65 years, as we discuss. We want good things for Denver. Like the Nuggets winning their first NBA crown.