For The Big Redhead

A rainy Sunday, so my activity of choice was watching college basketball. At the UCLA-Ohio State game from Los Angeles, they honored the late great Bill Walton, who passed last May. The Big Redhead and I were the same age, with Bill a few months older. Bill was my favorite basketball player, favorite Deadhead, favorite commentator, and one of my favorite persons of all time. He led the Portland Trail Blazers to their one and only NBA championship in 1977. Now I miss him in his colorful commentary of college basketball. In the call of one play, Big Bill could evoke the Buddha, Taoism, Ken Kesey, Oregon geography, and of course several lyrics from the Grateful Dead. He had such a passion for life, a passion we could all benefit from at this dark time.

The picture is of his wife Lori at today’s honoring of Big Bill at Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA, a place he never lost a single game. Here’s a short video of the zaniness of Big Bill’s commentary. Throw it down, Big Man.

https://youtu.be/XX0Aj-khOB0?si=1rVp6xwaMZtVZqj7