Bill Walton

What a long strange trip it was for the red head, Deadhead.

Bill Walton grew up in the company of and affected by the likes of John Wooden and Jack Scott, men at the opposite ends of just about any universe you could imagine. He often played a sport as well as anyone who laced up a pair of sneakers, but far too frequently he couldn't even lace them up. A man who spent his childhood afraid to speak and the rest of his days talking almost non-stop.

He came into our consciousness as a long haired, bearded hippie and remained with us through his less hirsute years, the joy evident in his often wacky words and his tie dye shirts.

And, oh how he loved the Grateful Dead. Said to have attended over 850 of their concerts, including taking all his Celtic teammates on one occasion, his two passions colliding, Bill Walton was indeed grateful for the Dead. 

And for the life he led.