Walton’s wife is part Pinay

NEW JERSEY–Hall of Famer and TV commentator Bill Walton said the other day he’ll visit Manila with his part-Filipina wife if invited to conduct basketball clinics and deliver inspirational speeches in September or October.

Walton, 50, was in the Philippines in 1979 to film a TV documentary for "The American Sportsman" on the monkey-eating eagle, an endangered specie. He won an Emmy for his work.

A trip to the Philippines would be special for Walton since his wife Lori has never visited Asia.

Lori, a psychologist at the University of San Deigo, told The Star her maternal grandmother was Filipina. She admitted never digging into her Filipino roots but if the trip materializes, she’ll definitely check on her relatives. Lori, whose maiden name is Matsuoka, also has Japanese, Chinese, and Hawaiian blood. She is Walton’s second wife and they have been together for 13 years.

Asked what it’s like living with a 6-11 giant, the petite Lori who reaches up to Walton’s chest in high heels said, without batting an eyelash, "Just normal, I guess."

Walton said he survives on his e-mail and if a Filipino sponsor gets in touch with him on a proposal to visit Manila, he’ll certainly consider it. "Only don’t make it too close to the start of the next season," he qualified.

Walton is here to work on the ABC-TV panel for the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals. He overcame a stuttering problem as a boy to become a loquacious, outspoken broadcaster in 1990.

Walton was a scholar-athlete at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) and a three-time Academic All-American. He led the Bruins to a pair of NCAA championships and a record 88-game winning streak.

Walton was picked by Portland on the first round in the 1974 draft. He played on the Trail Blazers squad that captured the NBA title in 1977. Walton also saw action for the Clippers, first at San Diego then Los Angeles, before moving to Boston where as a sixth man, he won another championship in 1986. He played his final NBA season in 1987, finishing with career clips of 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds.

In 1993, Walton was elected to the Hall of Fame and four years later, named among the NBA’s 50 greatest players ever. Last year, he was presented the Humanitarian Award by the NBA Retired Players Association.

Walton has four children from his first wife–Adam, 26, Nathan, 23, Luke, 22, and Christopher, 20. Adam played hoops at Princeton and Nathan at California Polytechnic at Pomona but never made it to the pros. Luke is a candidate for the NBA draft on June 26. Christopher plays at San Diego State.

Beset by injuries that cut short his basketball career, Walton has undergone 32 operations in his feet and ankles. Otherwise, he’s in excellent physical shape. He tips the scales at 235 pounds, his playing weight, and keeps trim unlike another 6-11 retired center Bob Lanier who’s easily over 300 pounds now.

Walton’s life is blessed. And it’s an inspiring story that must be told over and over again. Filipinos will get a chance to hear Walton tell his story if he visits Manila.

"I have been cursed and plagued by a horrendous speech impediment that has kept me from speaking, from communicating," he once said. "It wasn’t until I was 28 years old I could actually say anything at all. It’s something you never get over.

"Playing basketball was easy. So many great things have come my way but the fact that I am able to speak, to be a television broadcaster, to make a living as a public speaker, is undoubtedly the greatest thing I’ve ever been able to accomplish. And it’s certainly the most far-fetched career path anyone could ever prescribe for me."

Walton is a seven-time Best TV Analyst and Commentator awardee of the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association.

A leading footwear brand is interested to bring Walton to Manila for clinics and speaking engagements.