Bill Walton died on May 27, 2024, at the age of 71. Bill meant a lot to us at Awful Announcing, so we wanted to do something special. We invited a few of Bill’s many friends and broadcast partners to tell stories and memories of the Basketball Hall of Famer and legendary broadcaster. Sit back with host Brandon Contes and guests Jason Benetti, Roxy Bernstein, and Dave Pasch as we celebrate the life of Bill Walton.
Here’s the full breakdown:
- :20: Welcome Jason Benetti to the Awful Announcing Podcast
- :50: Bill making the most out of his life
- 2:57: Emotions this week
- 5:50: Creative freedom of working with Bill
- 7:37: Knowing Jason would like working with Bill at first
- 11:10: First broadcast with Bill
- 14:02: First conversation with Bill
- 14:15: Building chemistry with Bill
- 17:55: Shift in Bill’s broadcasting style from NBA to college
- 19:07: Pressure to need to entertain?
- 21:27: Was Bill seeking to be more entertaining or more insightful on broadcast?
- 22:43: Inserting non-sports topics in sports
- 25:23: Will we see another analyst like Bill?
- 27:31: Best piece of advice from Bill
- 29:39: Welcome Roxy Bernstein to the Awful Announcing Podcast
- 29:55: Reaction to the reaction to Bill’s passing
- 30:52: First broadcast with Bill
- 33:18: Comfort level working without pregame prep with the analyst
- 35:02: Challenge of letting Bill go on tangents
- 36:44: Notable tangents with Bill
- 37:46: Working relationship becoming a friendship
- 39:41: Being genuine/playing dumb
- 41:22: Favorite off-air moment with Bill
- 43:39: Going to a Grateful Dead concert with Bill
- 45:31: Closing Pac-12 Network and mentioning Bill
- 48:05: Welcome Dave Pasch to the Awful Announcing Podcast
- 48:25: Emotions this week
- 49:48: Catharsis of everyone sharing stories and showing love for Bill
- 51:06: Bill’s basketball career being secondary when describing his life
- 52:41: Bill resonating with so many people
- 54:29: Bill off-camera
- 55:59: Bill on college campus
- 58:41: Was there a pressure to be “on?”
- 59:39: First broadcast with Bill
- 1:00:51: Surprised by the amount of tangents
- 1:01:41: Was it a challenge to work alongside Bill?
- 1:03:20: Getting caught up in the banter
- 1:04:25: Will we see another analyst like Bill?
- 1:05:43: Favorite tangent/memorable on-air moment
- 1:08:00: Posting texts from Bill online
- 1:09:57: T-shirt for final broadcast
- 1:12:16: Favorite off-air moment with Bill
Thanks for listening, and if you enjoyed the show, be sure to subscribe and leave us a positive review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you get our podcasts.
