EcoAthletes is saddened to learn about the passing of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, honorary member of the Grateful Dead, avid cyclist, and environmentalist Bill Walton at 71 of cancer.
The 2-time NCAA Champ at UCLA, 2-time NBA Champ (Portland, Boston), and longtime hoops announcer spoke at a couple of PAC-12 conference green summits, intoning in his inimitable baritone, “Live Green or Die”. Maybe not our exact message but still his heart was in the right place.
It is ironic that the Big Redhead passed one day after his beloved Pac 12 (“The Conference of Champions!”) held its last ever sporting event.
Now, for those of you too young to have seen Walton play, or to know his one-of-a-kind story, we heartily recommend ‘I’m the Luckiest Guy In The World,’ the 4-part ESPN 30-for-30 documentary. In the meantime, we at EcoAthletes amp up our commitment to the climate comeback in Walton’s memory. Or as he would likely say, quoting The Dead’s ‘Sugar Magnolia’: “We can discover the wonders of nature!” Rest in peace!