SAN DIEGO (CNS) — A basketball double-header featuring San Diego State, UC San Diego and the University of San Diego will be held in November to honor the late Bill Walton, organizers announced Wednesday.
The National University Bill Walton Classic will be held at Pechanga Arena on Nov. 7, according to Sports San Diego. The sports-focused tourism group made the announcement on the court of Walton's alma mater, Helix High School.
A women's game featuring UC San Diego vs. the University of San Diego will be followed by a men's matchup featuring San Diego State University against an opponent to be announced at a later date. More details on times will be released in the near future, officials said.
"The Bill Walton Classic is meant to lift up our three Division I basketball programs, unite San Diego's basketball community under one roof for an extraordinary evening, and pay tribute to a true San Diego legend and Hall of Famer -- Bill Walton," Sports San Diego CEO Mark Neville said. "Nights like this remind us of what's possible when this city comes together around the game."
Walton, a basketball Hall of Famer and La Mesa native who won championships at UCLA and in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics, died from cancer in 2024 at age 71.
He was born on Nov. 5, 1952, in La Mesa, where he led the Helix Highlanders to San Diego Section championships in 1969 and 1970, when the team authored a 49-game winning streak. The city of La Mesa just honored his legendary career by naming the intersection of Lowell Street and Normal Avenue "Bill Walton Way" near Helix High.
"Bill Walton lived his life the way he called a game: loud, vivid, and bursting with love for the moment. The Bill Walton Classic brings that spirit home -- to San Diego," according to a statement from the Bill Walton Foundation. "Bill was one of a kind who brought radical joy and optimism to basketball and to everyone he met.
"From his legendary career on the court to his unforgettable years behind the microphone decked in tie-dye, Bill had a gift for turning any game into an event and any event into something you'd never stop talking about. The Bill Walton Classic is a tribute to that gift, and our invitation to carry it forward."
Walton was the first player selected in the 1974 NBA draft by the Trail Blazers, but had an injury-plagued professional career, playing at least 60 games in only three seasons. He led Portland to the NBA championship in 1977 and was selected as the NBA Finals MVP, and the league's MVP in the 1977-78 season, despite playing only 58 of 82 regular-season games, before playing for the hometown San Diego Clippers from 1979 through 1985 (the Clippers' first season in Los Angeles), before being traded to the Boston Celtics and winning another championship there in 1986.
Walton overcame a stutter to become an Emmy-winning broadcaster. He began his broadcasting career in 1990 as an analyst on Clippers telecasts.
He was also an analyst for CBS, ESPN, ABC and the Pac-12 Networks, winning a Sports Emmy for best live television sports telecast in 1991 and being selected as one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time by the American Sportscasters Association in 2009.
"Sports remind us that learning, growth, and belonging often happen through shared experience," National University President and CEO Mark Milliron said. "At National University, we believe those moments matter, whether they happen in a classroom or in an arena. Bringing San Diego's teams together for the Bill Walton Classic celebrates the community around the game and the people who make it special.
"That spirit reflects Bill Walton's legacy, his love for basketball, his generosity, and his ability to bring people together. It is a powerful example of what we strive for at NU, the idea that each one can reach one, creating opportunity for others along the way."
Pre-sales are underway, with tickets available to the general public beginning Friday at 10 a.m. at www.billwaltonclassic.com. Prices range from $60 to $160.
Walton is survived by his wife Lori and sons Adam, Chris, Nate and Luke.
Walton considered himself a lifelong San Diegan and had lived in the same home near Balboa Park for over 40 years.
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