| Luke Walton |
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| Written by Laura Lane | |
| Friday, May 26 2006 | |
 Whoever said college was the best years of your life must not have met Luke Walton, who went to the NBA playoffs, the playboy mansion and found out that Britney Spears had a crush on him, all in his first year out of college. Living in L.A. and being a Laker does have its perks for a 23-year-old single guy. But being a rookie can have its downsides too, such as doing the rookie chores all year in frat-like initiation, NBA style. This included doing a thong dance in the locker room for the team, and basically being the team’s ‘bitch’ for the year. Walton and fellow Laker Brian Cook’s chores included taking a taxi to the store to get things for players when the team was on the road, handing out laundry and loading and unloading the team’s luggage, which became the worst chore for Walton who had to unload the team’s luggage off a plane in –4 degrees. “I am from San Diego, went to school in Arizona and now I am living in L.A. so I didn’t have beanies, I didn’t have gloves, I didn’t have anything. I thought I was going to die out there.” The 6’8” curly-haired Laker has moved past his fi rst year and has now officially earned his place in the NBA and among thousands of Lakers fans who have fallen in love with the unselfish and hard-working young forward. Anyone who has ever gone to a Lakers game can hear the entire stadium at Staples screaming, “Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke!” every time he touches the ball, an act of admiration, which followed Walton from Arizona. “They use to do that in college. The guy I was named after used to play for Portland with my dad, Maurice Lucas, they use to do the same thing for him when he’d get in the game.” Last year Walton was told that Britney Spears had a crush on him and received tons of attention and media coverage after saying he wanted to get her tickets to a game. Since then, Walton has learned to be careful with what he says to the media. “The last time I said anything it got all blown up. I’m gonna keep my mouth shut this time. I’m done with all that stuff.” Girls everywhere will be disappointed that Walton says he has even put off dating right now so that he can concentrate on his basketball career. Besides buying a house, a new car, and his newfound attention to the game, Walton says he hasn’t changed a bit. “I’ve got a few nicer things but I am pretty much the same old guy.” Although Walton might not have changed, his life certainly has. With a two-year one million dollar contract, which expires after this season, Walton has learned the cost of living the high-life and trying to keep up with the income of other Lakers; some who rack in over 7 or 8 fi gures. “I’ve got tons of bills, home loaners bill, you know I’m buying all of these things and it just keeps coming in the mail. I don’t know how people afford to live if they don’t play in the NBA because I’m spending all my money.” In addition to adjusting to the glitz and glam of the NBA life-style, Walton had to adjust to the fast-pace and demanding NBA season. “In the NBA it’s crazy. Like in college, you have a few whole months to prepare and get ready. In the NBA you go to training camp for 10 days and then the pre-season games start and then the next thing you know the season’s here.”  On top of practices and games, if balancing a basketball career and a social life wasn’t hard enough in college, it only got worse for Walton. “There are so many games and so much traveling. I went out when I first got here, but now I’ve been here for a year its kind of nice to get some downtime. I feel like an old man, but its nice just to chill on the couch and watch TV when you have a night off .” Don’t think that Walton is just a couch potato who plays video games all-day. He had plenty of fun during his college days at the University of Arizona where Walton was named “Honorable Mention All American” by AP and gained All-Pac-10 Conference recognition his junior and senior year. Walton became famous around town as a star-basketball player and was treated like royalty at parties. “The managers on my team were in SAE, so we use to go to all the SAE parties and those were pretty fun and they treated you pretty nice over there.” Although he hasn’t been to any SAE parties at UCLA or USC, with both schools in his backyard, I had to ask him which school he prefers. “I’ve got to go for UCLA because my dad went there and my mom went there, my step-mom went there, I’ve got coaches that have gone there. there, my step-mom went there, I’ve got coaches that have gone there. I do root for (the USC) football team. I was going to go to the Arizona I do root for (the USC) football team. I was going to go to the Arizona game but we were out of town and then I was going to go to the UCLA game but we were out of town and then I was going to go to the UCLA game but then I ended up getting caught up in something else too.” game but then I ended up getting caught up in something else too.” Walton almost went to UCLA, but chose the University of Arizona Walton almost went to UCLA, but chose the University of Arizona because of Hall of Fame basketball coach Lute Olson, who won the because of Hall of Fame basketball coach Lute Olson, who won the 1997 national championship. On top of 1997 national championship. On top of Olson, Walton has had the opportunity to be coached by basketball’s top coaches including former Lakers coach and 9- including former Lakers coach and 9- time national championship winner Phil time national championship winner Phil Jackson and current Lakers coach, 2- Jackson and current Lakers coach, 2- time national championship and 2-time time national championship and 2-time division title winner Rudy Tomjanovich. division title winner Rudy Tomjanovich.  Walton says he has learned to adjust to the different styles of coaching Walton says he has learned to adjust to the different styles of coaching and doesn’t regret choosing Arizona over UCLA. Walton was always a and doesn’t regret choosing Arizona over UCLA. Walton was always a California guy growing up in San Diego but he quickly adjusted to the California guy growing up in San Diego but he quickly adjusted to the small town lifestyle and now he says he prefers the small town Tucson small town lifestyle and now he says he prefers the small town Tucson nightlife to L.A.’s. “At fi rst I wasn’t too fond of it and I couldn’t handle it, nightlife to L.A.’s. “At fi rst I wasn’t too fond of it and I couldn’t handle it, but after about a year I fell in love with the city and the school. I met but after about a year I fell in love with the city and the school. I met some of my best friends that I have there. I learned a lot basketball-wise, some of my best friends that I have there. I learned a lot basketball-wise, educational-wise, but just my overall experience exceeded what I ever educational-wise, but just my overall experience exceeded what I ever even thought it would be like in the fi rst place.” even thought it would be like in the fi rst place.” Walton became extremely close with his Arizona teammates who use to play pranks on each other on the road. use to play pranks on each other on the road. “We used to break into each other’s rooms and fi ll the bathtubs with coff ee and fl ip over the mattress and unplug all the light bulbs and stuff like that.” Walton still remains close with many former teammates and goes back to Arizona for basketball camps and special events. Things might not be college-crazy anymore, but they certainly haven’t calmed down. To get a real picture I asked Walton what a day in his shoes was like. “I got up at nine this morning; had some day in his shoes was like. “I got up at nine this morning; had some cereal. I got a couple I like, Honey Bunches of Oats; I got Cheerios, cereal. I got a couple I like, Honey Bunches of Oats; I got Cheerios, Raison Brand. I like the healthy stuff, not as much of the raisons Raison Brand. I like the healthy stuff, not as much of the raisons but I never really got into all of the sugary cereals. So, I did that, but I never really got into all of the sugary cereals. So, I did that, I came here, shot for like an hour with my shooting coach, then I came here, shot for like an hour with my shooting coach, then we lifted for like 45 minutes, got ready to practice, practiced for we lifted for like 45 minutes, got ready to practice, practiced for like a couple hours, then the NBA security had to come talk to us like a couple hours, then the NBA security had to come talk to us about gambling and now we are doing interviews and after this about gambling and now we are doing interviews and after this I have to go to the bank, hopefully if I have time, go Christmas I have to go to the bank, hopefully if I have time, go Christmas shopping for my family. So I keep busy right now.” Walton’s busy schedule leaves little free time. He has put in Walton’s busy schedule leaves little free time. He has put in extra practice time, hoping to get an edge when competing for playing time, something Walton was never used to doing as for playing time, something Walton was never used to doing as a college starter. “I was used to having the offence run to me, catching the ball all the time, getting to shoot when I wanted, to catching the ball all the time, getting to shoot when I wanted, to sitting on the bench, not playing for a couple games and getting sitting on the bench, not playing for a couple games and getting thrown in a couple minutes at a time.” Things might not be college-crazy anymore, but they certainly haven’t calmed down. To get a real picture I asked Walton what a day in his shoes was like. “I got up at nine this morning; had some day in his shoes was like. “I got up at nine this morning; had some cereal. I got a couple I like, Honey Bunches of Oats; I got Cheerios, cereal. I got a couple I like, Honey Bunches of Oats; I got Cheerios, Raison Brand. I like the healthy stuff, not as much of the raisons Raison Brand. I like the healthy stuff, not as much of the raisons but I never really got into all of the sugary cereals. So, I did that, but I never really got into all of the sugary cereals. So, I did that, I came here, shot for like an hour with my shooting coach, then I came here, shot for like an hour with my shooting coach, then we lifted for like 45 minutes, got ready to practice, practiced for we lifted for like 45 minutes, got ready to practice, practiced for like a couple hours, then the NBA security had to come talk to us like a couple hours, then the NBA security had to come talk to us about gambling and now we are doing interviews and after this about gambling and now we are doing interviews and after this I have to go to the bank, hopefully if I have time, go Christmas I have to go to the bank, hopefully if I have time, go Christmas shopping for my family. So I keep busy right now.” Walton’s busy schedule leaves little free time. He has put in Walton’s busy schedule leaves little free time. He has put in extra practice time, hoping to get an edge when competing for playing time, something Walton was never used to doing as for playing time, something Walton was never used to doing as a college starter. “I was used to having the offence run to me, catching the ball all the time, getting to shoot when I wanted, to catching the ball all the time, getting to shoot when I wanted, to sitting on the bench, not playing for a couple games and getting sitting on the bench, not playing for a couple games and getting thrown in a couple minutes at a time.” Comments
(2)
It's called Spel Chek!!!!!!
written by Dick Wad , March 01, 2007
If you write professionally, you may want to learn about the function called "spel chek" so you don't come off is the typically word-challenged 20-something year old.
Wife, Mother, Grandmother
written by Margaret Knuth , January 12, 2007  I enjoyed reading it, except for the several pages where sentence after sentence is partially repeated. That makes for very difficult reading. It seems to me that someone involved with the page should see to it that the repetition-errors are eliminated. |
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