Bill Walton / The Grateful Dead – Two Passions, One Spirit
Bill Walton, NBA superstar and sportscaster, passed away on May 27, 2024, leaving many who remember his dedication, stellar play, and commitment to teamwork much saddened.
First NBA draft pick in 1974 after leading the UCLA Bruins to two NCAA championships, Walton went on to play center, first for the Portland Trail Blazers (1974-1979), where he led the team to their first NBA championship in 1977; the Portland team were underdogs up against the highly-favored Philadelphia 76ers. In 1978, despite the Trail Blazers’ loss to Seattle’s Supersonics (at least partially attributable to Walton having broken his foot), he was named NBA MVP.
Walton then went on to play for the San Diego Clippers (1979-1985), and, finally, for the Boston Celtics (1985-1987), alongside fellow NBA legend Larry Bird, winning another NBA championship with that team in 1986 over the Houston Rockets.
Bill Walton retired from professional basketball after the 1986-1987 season. His recurring problems with his foot, as well as other injuries, finally sidelined the man many have called one of the very greatest all-around basketball players in history.
His devotion to the game was lifelong and tireless – his body had its limits, but his love for the game didn’t. Coaches have said he loved everything about it, strategizing, thinking, practicing, playing – it was all part of the game he loved.
So, what could Bill Walton possibly have in common with The Grateful Dead – America’s best-loved, perpetually touring (prior to Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995) band of hippie stoners?
Actually, Bill Walton and The Grateful Dead had a few things – and one essential mindset – in common.
Bill Walton was, first, last, and always, a team player.
In his own words:
“In basketball, you can be the greatest individual player in the world and still lose every game, because a team will always beat an individual.”
He practiced hard, honed his skills with purpose and intelligent application. Walton worked with many teammates under a good number of coaches – he always did his work, and gave his best to his team. But practices are regimented, and there’s an element of improvisation to every game – that’s why the game is played – because you don’t and can’t know in advance what the outcome will be.
The Grateful Dead were masters of improvisation – and this was part of how they practiced music offstage, as well as onstage in concert. It was integral to their performances. But no matter how far afield their notes took them, they’d bring it all back round to the song itself. And then, on to the next number.
But they played music, whether they were performing in front of a crowd or playing amongst themselves – they lived and breathed it as Bill Walton played, lived and breathed basketball. Sometimes they all lived in the same house.
The Grateful Dead were, effectively, a family, though some members came and went – willingly or otherwise (we all know about keyboardist, drummer, and harmonica-player Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s tragic death at age 27, in 1972).
Bob Weir, one of the Dead’s original quintet, singer/songwriter and guitarist, said:
“The concept of the band was always group improvisation, not merely playing behind Jerry’s solos. The Grateful Dead’s goal was to play together in a seamless mesh.”
So there’s a common theme between the two legends – it wasn’t all about the frontman, or the franchise player, it was about everyone playing – music or basketball.
And, artistic performance or sporting event, it’s a little about the fans, too.
Bill Walton was himself a fan of The Grateful Dead – he followed them, attending over 850 of their concerts over the decades, becoming known as “Grateful Red.” He wore their shirts while broadcasting in later years, and, once, performed (on drums) with the band at the Giza pyramids.
During his media career, which lasted a lot longer than his playing years, Walton was the subject and star of ESPN’s 2003 Bill Walton’s Long Strange Trip; he later hosted a satellite radio show, One More Saturday Night. I probably don’t need to point out that the first title references the refrain from Truckin’, while the second takes the name of one of the Dead’s go-to numbers.
Walton, who organized a Celtics outing to a Dead concert shortly after signing with the team in 1985, understood the synergy this way:
“The music and the basketball were the exact same thing.”
“You have a team with a goal, and a band with a song, and fans cheering because they’re happy, but also to make the players perform better, faster, and to take everybody further.”
“During the game, during the song, everybody goes off, each in their own direction, playing their own tune. But then with the greatness of a team, the greatness of a leader, and the willingness to play to a higher calling, they’re all able to come back and finish the job together — to win the game and send the people out into the night ecstatic, clamoring for more.”
But to be able to do that, you have to become great at what you want to do – whether it’s basketball, music, or anything else. Bill Walton’s high-school basketball career wasn’t stellar, but he put in the effort, and had the talent, to become great.
Jerry Garcia maintained he didn’t work hard at music – for him, playing music wasn’t working. But I don’t think he’d have denied he put in time and energy – i.e., effort. He could barely play an instrument when he joined his first band. And yet, he became one of the great guitar legends, as Bill Walton became one of basketball’s.
Neither of those greatnesses was achieved by accident, but by love, effort, and purpose. Both these artists were passionately focused – they gave it their all, whether in practice or in a live performance. And not in a vacuum, but side-by-side with others.
So, let’s run it down:
It’s not just about you, it’s about your team, your band.
It’s about putting in the effort to become great at what you love.
And it’s about the love that gives you the dedication to realize that greatness.
For the team. For the band. For the game, for the music. For the love.
And for the fans.
Any thoughts about Bill Walton or The Grateful Dead? On basketball, music, or anything else that takes both individual dedication and team-oriented goals?
Please click here to email me directly – I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Until next Wednesday –
Peace,
Eric
For more thoughts on music, literature, and sport, see:
Jazz Fest 2024 – Showing the Kids How It’s Done!
Yes, You Really Can Schedule Creativity!
At Last! JazzFest Returns to New Orleans
JazzFest’s Return Delayed – But Don’t Give up Hope!
What JazzFest’s Return Means to Me