Luke Walton is one of the world’s fantastic basketball coaches who had a successful basketball career before taking to coaching. He began his basketball career as a player under coach Lute Olson at the University of Arizona.
While his stint at the University’s basketball team lasted, he recorded his best year statistically in his junior level, when he averaged 6.3 assists, 15.7 points, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 7.3 rebounds per game. The handsome basketball player, during his senior year, averaged 0.9 steals, 10.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game to become one of the university’s finest basketball players.
Currently, the former professional American basketball player works as the head coach of Los Angeles Lakers basketball team.
Luke Walton Bio – Age
Former professional basketball player Luke Walton was born Luke Theodore Walton, in San Diego, California, USA, on March 18, 1980. He was named after his father’s bosom friend, Maurice Lucas, a Pittsburgh-born professional basketball player.
His parents are Susie Guth Walton and Bill Walton while his siblings are Adam Walton, Nathan Walton, and Chris Walton. Luke attended the University of San Diego High School, graduating in 1998. He studied at the University of Arizona, where his basketball career actually began.
His Dad
His full name is Bill Walton. He was born as William Theodore Walton III on November 5, 1952, in La Mesa, California, to Gloria Anne and William Theodore “Ted” Walton.
He is a television sportscaster and retired basketball player best known for his roles with UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team, a representative of the University of California, Los Angeles in men’s college basketball.
Walton won three successive College Player of the Year Awards, in the early 1970s when he led the team to two Division I national titles. His robust career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) saw him win two NBA championships and also emerge as the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
While Walton really had an impressive career during his active years, his professional career was truncated as a result of multiple foot injuries. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 10, 1993, in recognition of his impressive career in basketball history. Bill was named as one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of all time sometime in 1996 and was also included as a member of the San Diego Hall of Champions in 1990.
He has a memoir titled: “Back from the Dead: Searching for the Sound, Shining the Light and Throwing It Down”. The memoir, which was released by Simon and Schuster in March 2016, occupied The New York Times bestseller list for 14 days in April 2016.
Bill Walton currently lives in San Diego with his wife, Lori. He has appeared in several commercials and has made several cameo appearances in films. The former professional basketball player has an estimated net worth of $20 million.
Luke Walton’s Wife
The former professional basketball player is married to Bre Ladd, his college sweetheart and a former member of the University of Arizona volleyball team.
The lovebirds tied the knot on August 17, 2013, in Aspen, Colorado, in the presence of 200 guests. Walton and Ladd first met while studying at the University. Their marriage is blessed with two sons. Their first child arrived shortly after their wedding while their second son was born in 2016.
His Height – How Tall Is He?
Luke Walton is 6 feet 8 inches tall which is up to the mark in the world of basketball. His weight is put at 107 kg.
Other Facts to Know
1. Luke Walton is an American by nationality and a North American by ethnicity.
2. Walton began his basketball career in 2003, following his selection by Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003 NBA draft. He officially retired from the world of basketball in 2013.
3. In 2005, he represented team, Los Angeles, in Shooting Stars Competition during All-Star Weekend.
4. Luke Walton was traded along with Jason Kapono to Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Christian Eyenga and Ramon Sessions on 15 March 2012.
5. The former basketball player signed a six-year contract extension valued at $30 million with the Los Angeles Lakers on 12 July 2007.
6. In 2015, he won his first NBA Finals as a coach following his appointment as the assistant coach for Golden State Warriors on 3 July 2014.
7. Walton has been the Lakers’ head coach since 29 April 2016.
8. His coaching career actually began at the University of Memphis, where he was appointed as an assistant coach during 2011 NBA lockout.
9. He is a member of Los Angeles Lakers on-air broadcast team, having joined the team in 2013.
10. Luke Walton also did a stint as a player developmental coach during 2013-14 seasons in Los Angeles D-League.
11. The formal basketball player is not active on social media. He doesn’t have Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts.
12. His fortune is valued at $16 million.
13. Luke’s victory at the 2009 and 2010 NBA Finals is historic as it made him and his father the first “father-son set” to have emerged victorious at multiple NBA championships.
