PMT DB
PMT DB
Bill Walton on John Wooden, Grateful Dead, and The Meaning of Life
Big Cat and PFT Commenter are coming to you live from the greater Phoenix area after a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas that resulted in what can only be described as a spiritual awakening. The guys met up with Bill Walton in a hotel room at the MGM Grand, and it didn't take long for them to realize they weren't in charge of the interview. Bill Walton arrived with his own chair, a clock that he placed on the bed but never looked at, and enough energy to power the entire Vegas strip.
Before getting to the legend himself, the guys broke down the current state of the NBA. With the regular season winding down, the MVP race is heating up, and everyone has a different definition of what the award actually means. PFT pointed out that while stats usually tell the story, the context around the league's top stars is getting complicated.
PFT CommenterRussell Westbrook has the best stats in the NBA, but his team is not good
Russell Westbrook, who by far has the best stats, but his team is not good. Is he just the guy that's always the best player in the league and has been for the last 10 years? [LeBron James].
Big Cat, meanwhile, found a way to make the case for a guy who isn't even on the court right now, proving that the Warriors might actually be the most vulnerable juggernaut in sports history.
Big CatKevin Durant is the real NBA MVP because the Warriors are struggling without him
But you forgot the dark horse, the guy who gets injured, and the team's not as good, Kevin Durant. When he gets his knee injury and everyone says, well look at the Warriors now. They're 2-2 since he got injured. Maybe he's the MVP, even though he's not going to play the entire season.
Speaking of NBA legends, Dirk Nowitzki just hit the 30,000-point milestone. Big Cat made sure to give the big man his flowers, noting that Dirk is often overlooked despite being one of the most consistent forces the league has ever seen.
Big CatDirk Nowitzki has one of the most underrated careers in NBA history
[Dirk Nowitzki] is by far one of the most underrated careers because you kind of just forgot about him after he won the finals but he has been like quietly incredible for so so long.
The Bill Walton Experience
When Bill Walton sat down, the planned questions about UCLA and the Celtics immediately went out the window. Bill isn't just a former basketball player; he’s a philosopher who happens to be seven feet tall. He spoke extensively about his mentor, John Wooden, and the various orthopedic surgeries that have left him with a reconstructed spine and fused ankles. Despite the physical toll the game took on him, Bill’s outlook remains relentlessly positive.
Bill WaltonThere is a massive difference between 'playing hurt' and 'playing in pain,' and all great athletes play through pain
There's a difference between playing hurt and playing in pain. Everybody's in pain all the time when you're playing. You push yourself. The athletes, you become great because that's what you want to do.
He also touched on the importance of human connection and the partners we choose to walk through life with. For a guy who spent years bedridden in agonizing pain before his latest back surgery, he has a profound appreciation for the team he has built at home.
Bill WaltonIt is impossible to find happiness or move forward in life without a loving partnership
It's hard to move forward in life unless you're happy in love, that partnership. I'm a team guy. I've always been about the team.
Bill’s list of heroes is a mix of civil rights icons and rock stars, but when it comes to the hardwood, nobody touches Bill Russell. He told a moving story about Russell thanking John Wooden for his stance on integration in the early days of college basketball, a moment that clearly still resonates with Walton today.
Bill WaltonBill Russell is the greatest basketball player ever and a personal hero
Bill Russell, my basketball hero, favorite player ever on and off the court. Champions, mental acuity, emotional commitment.
Hot Seat Cool Throne and Spin Zones
Back in the world of current sports drama, Hank used his Hot Seat to take a shot at the "snowflake" personalities at ESPN who are currently bracing for massive layoffs. Big Cat had a creative solution for how the network should handle the logistics of letting so many people go at once.
Big CatESPN should hire Bill Belichick for one day specifically to fire all the employees they are cutting
I think they should bring in Bill Belichick, hire him one day contract, have him fire everyone, soften the blow. Because when Bill Belichick fires you, it means you could still be at the peak... He's doing it one year too early. And he's actually doing you a favor by letting you get on the market and test the waters.
In the Spin Zone, Big Cat is already doing the mental gymnastics required to be a Chicago sports fan. With Mike Glennon reportedly heading to the Bears, Big Cat is trying to convince himself that a bidding war against nobody is actually a savvy front-office move.
Big CatMike Glennon will be a great and perfect quarterback for the Chicago Bears (Spinzone)
Mike Glennon's gonna be great for the Bears he's gonna be perfect and he is exactly he's exactly who the Bears would get in this situation because when you look at all the Bears quarterbacks they all suck but at one point you were able to say to yourself, 'maybe.'
Big CatThe Chicago Bears essentially bid against themselves to sign Mike Glennon
I think the Bears got into bidding war with themselves. I don't think anyone else is going after Mike Glennon. And the price keeps going up... Ryan Pace is the only guy at the table.
Finally, the guys looked at the bizarre media circus surrounding the Ball family. Lavar Ball has been everywhere lately, and PFT thinks he has finally figured out the blueprint the loud-mouthed father is following.
PFT CommenterLavar Ball is just the basketball version of Kris Jenner
That Lavar Ball is just the basketball Kris Jenner. I don't know what that means, but I'm into it. He is basically going to market his sons so relentlessly and throw them in our face.
Make sure to check back on Friday for Part 2 of the Bill Walton interview, because there are still plenty of galaxies left to explore. Be the cool girl for once and go listen to the full episode.
