Even after his most fulfilling moment in the past nine long and painful seasons, Bill Walton said he still did not think he had been accepted as a full-fledged member of the Boston Celtics .
Not even after he had whizzed past Mitchell Wiggins, over Akeem Olajuwon, through Robert Reid and into Ralph Sampson to snatch a missed Celtic shot and score the most critical basket in a 106-103 victory over the Houston Rockets that prompted the Celtics to order the champagne, put it on ice and make plans for a victory parade.
Boston is just one triumph from its 16th National Basketball Association championship, but today, the player most responsible for the victory Tuesday night at the Summit was not ready to celebrate.
"We've still got a job to do and that's to win the championship," Walton said after an easy, hourlong workout for Thursday night's fifth game. (CBS, 9 P.M.). "These guys have been here a long time. Maybe that's why I feel this way. They've been down this road many times. It's a new experience for me, a new feeling."
Championship Season
Not entirely. During the 1976-1977 season, Walton was the hub of the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 39.7 minutes, 18.2 points, 15.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists during the playoffs, which culminated in a four-games-to-two triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers.
What he has endured since has been well chronicled. Broken feet, numerous operations and gloomy prognoses. Even after he was able to play, he was tentative and tender. He failed to play a full season in the next eight seasons, and he performed in only two playoff games during that period.
Last June, he watched the final series between the Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. "I said I sure would like to be doing that," he said today. "The intensity, the emotion. You want to be in championship games."
Teammates Kidding Him
One reason Walton said that he felt like a pledge in this exclusive fraternity was that his teammates had never let him forget the circuitous manner in which he arrived - calling the Celtics only after he flunked the Lakers' physical.
"We'll never let him live that down," said Larry Bird.
The Celtics obtained Walton from the Los Angeles Clippers, in exchange for the forward Cedric Maxwell, a popular player among his teammates. Walton even agreed to accept $113,000 a year less, signing a three-year contract for $425,000 annually.
In order to facilitate his acceptance, Walton made an early visit to the home of the center Robert Parish, whom he would be eagerly waiting to replace as a substitute.
"I wanted Robert to feel comfortable with me coming to the team," he said. "I didn't want him to feel pressured. It takes a lot. You've got to have a lot of talented players out there."
Bird Wasn't Certain
Initially, Bird was not certain if the Celtics had made the right move. He knew of the 33-year-old Walton's painful history and his liberal life style.
"I think every kid in America in my generation, when he heard about Bill Walton, all they talked about was his pony-tail and him smoking the bang," Bird said. "Once you're around him, you know those things are not true."
He also wondered if Walton or Maurice Lucas - the other veteran frontcourt player available during the offseason - was the proper player to shore up their bench. "I thought that between him and Luke, whichever team got the right one would win the championship," Bird said. "I think we benefited. Luke played well for the Lakers, but Bill fit our needs. He's the best rebounder in basketball."
Walton Used Sparingly
Walton is used sparingly. He has averaged just 18 minutes in the four games of the final series, scoring 8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. But it is quality, not quantity that he seeks now - as well as another championship ring.
"If you win, it means you're a part of the best team in the world," he said. "Basketball is the most fun thing in my life. It's what I enjoy most. So when you're the best in the world, it's an unbelievable feeling of accomplishment and pride."
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