Bill Walton On Mark Cuban, Going Under The Knife 31 Times And More | Letterman

our next guest is a two-time NBA champion a  member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and an   Emmy award-winning broadcaster uh please welcome  game analyst for NBC and one of the sports alltime   greats Bill Walton B great to have you here  explain the shirts don't adjust your sets it's   his shirt what what is that it's got your picture  on it and it's love it live what is that you guys   are having trouble having fun here today I can  see but this is the world tour of the love it   live see America and see the NBA Playoffs this his  30 Games 30 days I'm out there as a fan when I'm   not broadcasting the games on the weekends with  Marv and Steve and all the guys that then were   out there enjoying it and and and being part of  that experience and the the whole Genesis of this   came about this past summer when I had my 31st  operation now see that's what on on your feet   on my feet most that's what I was talking about  that's just that's crazy isn't it when I was lying   in the hospital bed and it's a it's a very serious  major operation 6 months of just laying down there   and it's and my second son Nathan who's 24 years  old he came over and sat on the edge of the bed   and he said Dad it's been a long hard Road for you  what are you going to do when your foot finally   gets better what are you going to do when you get  up out of this bed he said Nathan I am never going   to sit down again so now that we're here in the  playoffs you know the basketball game has been   my life I 42 years I played uh and then and been  been involved in it and now 28 years with the NBA   so we're out there having a great time and this  is the love live now let me ask you this are you   doing this on your own are you is the NBA paying  you to do this or you just no no we're just out   there we're on the bus we you know we tried to  get Ken Key's bus for the tour but but it but it   wouldn't pass the California small missions test I  could believe that there was too much smoke coming   out I think so now tell me but this is my this is  my rookie picture this was I was 21 years old I'm   49 now and it's a certainly been a long strange  trip I think so now speak speak of long strange   trips tell me about Marv was in I guess a minor  automobile accident the what what happened to the   guy minor accidents are when somebody else is in  them but but I talked to Marv today and uh he's   doing much better his voice is very good what  happened to him exactly well he got smashed up   a concussion he was unconscious he banged up his  leg he was unconscious yes absolutely no kidding   U no not not during the broadcast I mean after  after the after the automobile accident and he's   wearing a big uh boot on his leg he asked me for  one of my old boots you know I I've got quite the   paraphernalia from all those operations um well  but he is going to be just fine then we hope he   comes back real soon he doesn't know when he's  going to be back but uh his voice was strong and   it was powerful today and we can only hope it  just shows you how tenuous how fragile it all   is because you know he is the voice of the NBA  and he's so gracious to just let us sit there   and say Marv you're absolutely right now when when  we come back I want to I want to talk about uh I   guess everybody's favorite everybody's a pick to  go all the way the Indiana Pacers we'll be right   back I was talking about and you mentioned you  had 31 operations on your suit if you were if   you were playing today and had the what was the  the foot problem exactly and if you were playing   today would you have had a better chance medically  I guess the answer to that is obvious isn't it we   hope so we hope there's been some progress out  there but the basic problem that they figured   out at the very end was that I was cursed with  structural congenital def and that just the   nature of the structure of my feet just did not  allow shock absorption did not allow flexibility   so they were just in there on a constant basis  carving it up trying to make it move a little   bit more at the end though it was just so ground  up so beat up with the endless series of stress   fractures that they had to fuse my ankles oh my  God and and was is you're all right now you had   had your last operation great oh we can only hope  but it sounds terrible but it is actually terrific   because it takes the pain away and and now let's  talk about about the Indiana Pacers now they I   predict that they will go all the way they they  get into they get into the playoffs a guts and   determination and they they take the first game  from New Jersey and that's it it's going to be   a straight shot to the finals well now we we're  hoping to be there on Tuesday does your mom want   to go to the game mom's oh yeah try and keep mom  away mom is a towel girl for the Pacers m is a tacer when do they play their next game they  say Friday and Tuesday in Indianapolis and it's   going to be it's going to be a battle because  New Jersey is a terrific team they showed that   they have uh a real chance to go all the way to  the finals but with Reggie Miller with Germaine   O'Neal and Isaiah thas this guy has really come  around hasn't he ger O'Neal he's Fierce I was at   The Meadowlands I mean going to the Meadowlands  that used to be like a a funeral like or going   to the mor coming here no no I was out on that  those people are having a good time out there   but Monday night on this love it live tour you  know and we're chronicling the whole thing on   nba.com and just everyday articles pictures  and we were there and it was remarkable they   were playing Spencer Davis and give me some  love and they were dancing 20,000 people to   the back row of the meal lens now that is an  amazing turn Jason it be too bad that they're   going to end the season in the first round  of the playoffs but have you seen the doctor lately uh and what about the guy who owns  the franchise in in Dallas is is he your   kind of guy or is he not your kind of guy he's  terrific I think Mark Cuban uh you haven't had   him on the show yet no oh no he is absolutely  great I think him coming into the league is   the best thing that's happened to the NBA  since differently well if if his team goes   out early we're going to ask him to referee  the next round but the he he has resurrected   that franchise it has been truly remarkable that  was Death Valley before he got there and just a   couple of years they are one of the title  contenders and they're one of the most exciting   teams and they got Steve Nash they have Dirk  nitzki Michael Finley Don Nelson's the coach   and they play an up and down style the kind  of game that you have to play if you're ever   going to beat the Lakers CU nobody can guard sha  right but if anybody has a chance of beating the   Lakers clearly it would be the Indiana Pacers  I mean they gave him fits two years ago do you   remember that you remember that it took him it  was five games six games two years ago it was   never that close you know it was you're dreaming  have you been on this tour have you been on Ken   Key's bus what's the problem this is a very good  team Indiana don't get me wrong but they should   be better than they are they got a lot of one  of those team no they they've just now they're   peaked at the right moment and they're going  to get better and better with each game they're   the eighth playoff se you just you just wait and  see what happens now well we can only hope we can   only hope that they play well I would love to  see them go it's just thrilling you know what's   the next there's nothing like the NBA Playoffs  that's what we live for what is are you working   for the NBA now is that you are working for the  NBA aren't you you're establishment now man Dave   I have all I have always been mainstream I see  I have always been mainstream but the right has   moved so far to the right that they've dragged  us all with them it's unbelievable good to see   you Bill have a great playoff we're going  to Detroit right now Boston tomorrow travel   safely thank you sir thanks for having Bill  Walton we'll be back with Bonnie R everybody

Channel: Letterman

Views: 121,326

Keywords: letterman, david letterman, dave letterman, interview, letterman interview, letterman official, letterman late show, letterman late night, late night, stupid pet tricks, stupid human tricks, top ten, late show, top ten list

Id: DfQlIoekUo4

Length: 7min 46sec (466 seconds)

Published: Mon May 27 2024