Ralph Lawler helped Bill Walton get into broadcasting, and, like so many others, found his life changed for the better by Walton.
Clippers broadcaster Ralph Lawler, below, jokes around with former broadcast partner Bill Walton during a news conference prior to an NBA basketball game between the Clippers and and the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.
After that, Lawler kept up with Walton’s UCLA career. And once he went No. 1 in the 1974 NBA Draft, Lawler attended what was a league-mandated news conference before Walton’s Blazers tipped off for the first time in Philadelphia, where the broadcaster’s radio career had taken him.
Lawler moderated – and then painstakingly edited the programs to remove any hint of a stutter that Walton would work hard to overcome – as the NBA superstar talked with friends and fellow players and offered social commentary that was decidedly less popular with some listeners than others. “ came from his college-educated understanding that the goal of the telecast was to inform and entertain,” Hoffarth wrote in an email. “Or entertain and inform if the game was going south. To him, that meant over-preparing for both ends.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hall Of Famer Bill Walton Passed Away MondayTwo-time NBA champion and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton passed away today at the age of 71 following a prolonged battle with cancer.
Read more »
NBA champion, Hall of Famer Bill Walton dies at 71Two-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Bill Walton has died of cancer at the age of 71, the NBA announced Monday.
Read more »
UCLA Basketball: Bruins Superstar Bill Walton Dead at 71The two-time NCAA champ was one of the legendary staples of college hoops.
Read more »
NBA says Hall of Famer Bill Walton dies at 71 prolonged fight with cancerNBA says Hall of Famer Bill Walton dies at 71 prolonged fight with cancer
Read more »
Bill Walton, two-time NBA champion, dies at 71Here are some of the leaders, newsmakers, sports legends and entertainment greats who have died so far this year.
Read more »
Bill Walton, UCLA legend, NBA star and Pac-12 advocate, dies at age 71Bill Walton, who helped UCLA win national titles during John Wooden's career and later won two NBA titles, has died following a cancer battle.
Read more »