A new study shows that the average American travels over 2,000 miles a year. The majority of this travel is for leisure purposes. This means that people are spending more time on the road than at home. It also means that there is an opportunity to make money in the form of gas and tolls.
At Some Point, I’m Going to Have to Get Home is a song by the band The National. It talks about how one day, they will have to return home and live with their parents again.
Bill Walton was the motor that drove the Portland Trail Blazers franchise long before he became renowned as a Grateful Dead fan and passionate color commentator.
Walton is still regarded as one of the best players in UCLA men’s basketball history. After making the jump to the NBA, where he helped the Blazers win a championship in 1977, his popularity continued to rise.
During the championship festivities, the Hall of Fame center was so overwhelmed with emotion that all he could think of was asking for the return of his beloved motorbike.
In 1977, Bill Walton led the Blazers to an NBA title.
Bill Walton was once regarded as one of the greatest players in the NBA.
In the 1974 NBA Draft, the Blazers selected the former Bruins standout with the first overall selection. It wasn’t long before Walton was assisting Portland in reaching the summit.
During the 1976-77 season, Walton quickly established himself as one of the greatest two-way centers in the NBA. He led the NBA in rebounds (14.4) and blocked shots (3.2), while also averaging 3.8 assists per game.
During the 1977 playoffs, the Red Baron’s domination reached new heights. During Portland’s championship run, he averaged 18.2 points, 15.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game.
Those figures just scratch the surface of Walton’s two-way influence. He crushed the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals, averaging 18.5 points, 19.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 3.7 blocks.
With a stunning effort in the series-clinching Game 6, Walton capped off a Finals MVP performance. Walton scored 20 points and grabbed 23 rebounds, outshining the Sixers on the glass. He also had seven assists and swatted everything in sight, totaling eight blocks throughout the game.
The Blazers won their first championship in club history thanks to Walton’s amazing run of games, which sparked wild celebrations throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Walton, on the other hand, had no idea how to absorb the accomplishment. He was more worried about getting home after the procession.
Walton had misplaced his bike during the procession and had just thought to beg for it back when he spoke amid the festivities.
During an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City in 1975, John Gianelli #40 of the New York Knicks fights for position with Bill Walton #32 of the Portland Trail Blazers | Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Following the Blazers’ championship victory, Bill Walton was ecstatic. At least, that was the case until he didn’t.
Walton said in his 2016 book, Back from the Dead, that he stayed in the locker room for hours after Portland’s Game 6 triumph to soak in the victory and then proceeded to Lionel’s, a “downtown penthouse palace.” The following morning, he rode his motorbike to the championship parade, only to see it swallowed up by the crowds as if it had gotten lost in the Willamette River.
When former mayor Neil Goldschmidt gave him the microphone, Walton claimed he was overwhelmed with emotion and went mute. He could only think of one thing to say to the adoring fans: “Please return my mode of transportation.”
“Thank you – for a fantastic evening. Will the man who took my bike down at the outset of this entire affair kindly return it to me, since I’m going to have to go home at some point?”
Back from the Dead, Bill Walton (Page 197)
Something like this seems totally fitting for a genuine Deadhead like Walton to experience.
Because of recurrent foot problems, the Hall of Fame center’s career will never be the same. Despite this, Walton had one more season with the Celtics in 1985-86 and remains a significant presence in the sport, mainly due to his humorous antics as a color commentator.
Bill Walton obviously has a flair for narrative storytelling and isn’t afraid of anomalies, as shown by his book. He’s also a natural performer.
Walton has worked as an NBA and NCAA pundit for many decades and has never been afraid to show his silly, Deadhead side. This is particularly true when it comes to his college basketball color analysis.
For Pac-12 games, the former Bruins great usually wears the headset, and fans never know what they’ll receive. Walton may sometimes tear his shirt off or appear on set as a prop. Even with the candle still burning, he’ll devour a cupcake.
Bill Walton is a crazy guy, so it’s no surprise that he was uncomfortable and funny during the Blazers title celebrations.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
RELATED: Bill Walton Reveals the Details of a Surprising Offer to Leave UCLA
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