On what would have been Bill Walton’s 73rd birthday, a community advocate on Wednesday launched a campaign to rename several sites across the county after the basketball legend and philanthropist.
A two-time NBA champion and hall of famer, Walton was a star player for Coach John Wooden’s Bruins at the University of California Los Angeles in the early 1970s. He later became a prominent basketball broadcaster and was well known in the community for his generosity.
His influence grew as he got involved as a philanthropist in his hometown of La Mesa and across San Diego.
He was 71 when he died in May 2024 after a prolonged battle with cancer.
The announcement to rename sites took place in Balboa Park on Park Boulevard near Walton’s longtime home and everyday cycling routes. One proposal calls for renaming a segment of Park Boulevard to Honorary Bill Walton Way.
His wife, Lori Matsuoka Walton, said she supports the proposals and described her husband as a selfless proponent for community needs.
“Bill was an incredibly proud San Diegan, and even though his job required him to travel quite a bit, on the days that he was home, he really devoted his time to giving back,” she said.
She said Walton shied away from individual attention and would be “kind of embarrassed” by a street renaming, but she added that it was something she thought he deserved.
Shane Harris, president of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates, is spearheading the renaming effort. His office proposed multiple sites as options for honoring Walton, in part due to his broad impact across San Diego, but also because it can be complicated to get a street rename approved by municipalities.
“Bill’s generosity didn’t just come from an obligation, it came from joy,” Harris said. “That’s why this proposal doesn’t stop here (in Balboa Park).”
The association proposes recognizing Walton at more than nine sites, all of which have connections to his lifelong philanthropic efforts.
One would rename a portion of Mission Valley Road in front of the Mission Valley YMCA — where a bronze statue of him stands — as Honorable Bill Walton Way. Another would rename the Mission Beach Courts that Walton paid to be renovated as Bill Walton Courts – Mission Beach.
Walton’s basketball journey started at Helix High School in La Mesa, where he became one of the most accomplished basketball players in San Diego County history.