It’s been two years since Bill Walton’s passing, but the basketball world is still finding new ways to honor him.
On Wednesday, the San Diego State men’s basketball team and Sports San Diego announced the creation of the “Bill Walton Classic,” a hoops showcase that’ll pay homage to the two-time NBA champion.
The event, which will be held in November at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, will be a college basketball doubleheader. The first matchup will feature UC San Diego and University of San Diego women’s teams. The second will be the SDSU men’s team vs. a to-be-determined opponent.
“Bill Walton was such a San Diego icon,” Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said, “and with Chris Walton having played for the Aztecs, this event is really a family affair for us. We could not be prouder to be invited to honor Bill by competing in the inaugural National University Bill Walton Classic.”
Walton was born in La Mesa and later played for Helix High School, where he won multiple San Diego Section championships.
He went on to attend UCLA, before he was taken by the Trailblazers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft.
Walton was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.
“The Bill Walton Classic is meant to lift up our three Division I basketball programs, unite San Diego’s basketball community under one roof for an extraordinary evening, and pay tribute to a true San Diego legend and Hall of Famer — Bill Walton,” Sports San Diego CEO Mark Neville said Wednesday. “Nights like this remind us of what’s possible when this city comes together around the game.”
The event will take place on Nov. 6 — the day after Walton’s birthday.