SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego advocates are pushing to honor basketball legend Bill Walton by renaming several locations throughout the city and La Mesa in his memory.
Advocate Shane Harris joined with Walton's family Wednesday, which would have been Walton's 73rd birthday, to propose the naming changes, highlighting the Hall of Famer's deep commitment to San Diego throughout his life.
"He was the greatest ambassador San Diego ever had, ever had on every broadcast," sportscaster Ted Leitner said. "He'd talked about San Diego and my hometown. He was so proud of it. It's simply, simply amazing."
Walton passed away in 2024 at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer. The basketball icon won back-to-back NCAA basketball championships with UCLA and played professionally for the Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics.
"Every day in San Diego he was committed to the people of San Diego and he did everything he could prior to his death, his passing, to do to contribute to the city, to push this city to do better on homelessness, but to give back to so many causes," Harris said.
Walton's wife Lori backed the naming proposal Wednesday.
"Bill was an incredibly proud San Diegan," she said. "And even though his job required him to travel quite a bit on the days that he was home, he really devoted his time to giving back to San Diego."
The proposed locations for name changes include the Park Boulevard segment of Balboa Park and Marston Hills Edge, 5505 Friars Road by the Mission Valley YMCA, and the Colina del Sol Recreation Center on Orange Avenue.
"The basketball vernacular for, for, for Bill, it's a slam dunk," Leitner said. "Anybody who could go against the naming of any street or corner or plaza against the Bill Walton name going on there. A, never met Bill, B, doesn't know Bill, and C, does not understand what a great ambassador he was. All he ever talked about, all he ever loved was his family, basketball, and San Diego, California."
The next step for advocates is to bring the proposals before the city's planning committees.
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