Bill Walton may no longer be in this world, but his legacy continues with his family. The former Portland Trail Blazers star, after a hard-fought battle with prostate cancer, recently passed away at 71. Bill is survived by wife Lori Matsuoka, and four sons — Luke Walton, Nathan Walton, Chris Walton, and Adam Walton.    

From leading the Bruins to two NCAA championships to securing the Blazers their first and only championship, Bill Walton has been a massive name in the basketball industry. So it was only natural for his sons to try their hands at the sport their father excelled at. All his sons tried their luck at basketball, but Luke Walton managed the most success out of it. 

A closer look at Luke Walton’s basketball career     

It was at the University of Arizona, under coach Lute Olson that Luke started out his basketball career. However, it did not prove to be a great start for the then-19-year-old. Following two years of an average run, Walton only found his form in his junior year, which turned out to be his college best, averaging 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. 

However, throughout his 4-year run with the Wildcats, Luke had failed to accumulate any major accolades to name. It was thus, most likely his well-rounded performance in the last two seasons, averaging 13.4 that fetched him a place in the NBA as a second round, second-pick by the LA Lakers in 2003.

Light Wheats could not replicate his last two seasons’ college performance in the league in his initial phase. Nevertheless, the 6’8″ player was still among the fan favorites for reportedly being a selfless, and hard-working reserve player. But things changed for Walton during season 2006-07, when played as the team’s starting small forward. Not only did Walton average 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, but he was also among one of the most improved players in the season.

Following this,  a 6-year, $30 million contract came Luke’s way from the Lakers. Thanks to that, as Walton persisted, he joined the team in three consecutive NBA Finals appearances (2008, 2009 and 2010). While the Celtics clinched the first of the lot, the Lakers rose to win the 2009 and 2010, helping Luke equal his championship titles with that of his father. 

Despite the multiple rings, Luke’s performance remained subpar, possibly, sparking his mid-season trade to Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021. This happened to Walton’s last run as a player in the NBA. However, the Light Wheat had more to add to his basketball journey, this time, as a coach.

Luke’s wavering run

Walton’s journey as a coach was marked by the University of Memphis’s assistant coach’s role in 2011 NBA lockout. The 2x NBA champion held on to the position untill the lockdown and found his next gig only after his retirement. The first stop of the path was as a player development coach for Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA Development League.

After continuing with the league for two seasons, Walton found himself as the assistant coach of the Golden State Warriors. Herein, not only did the former small forward win a championship, he also headed the team as interim head coach in Steve Kerr’s absence. However, interestingly, it was his previous franchise, helping him to glory, that hired Walton as for his first ever role as a head coach in 2017.

Light Wheats served as the Lakers head coach for three seasons — 2017, 2018, and 2019. However, his tenure was plagued by low winning percentage (39.8) and a failure to lead the team to playoffs. It is thus revealed that the the two parties “mutually agreed to part ways,” after season 2019. And although the 47-year-old got himself a better winning percentage (42.2) with the Sacramento Kings, his next stop, his run here, also ended after three seasons. Currently, Luke seems to have come a full circle as he adorns the position of an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers.