A life-size bronze sculpture of legendary San Diego athlete Bill Walton was unveiled Saturday, May 14 at Ski Beach Park in Mission Bay. Walton, a lifelong cycling enthusiast, is commemorated in bronze with his bicycle. The statue stands 6 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 1,200 pounds. Alison Brown, the bronze sculptor who created the monument, took exact measurements of Walton’s bicycle, his shoes and other personal items. These were carefully replicated in the finished work, a life-size, highly detailed replica of the man himself. ‘In clay, every fingerprint, every detail created in the sculpture is transferred into bronze. When the sculpture is ultimately cast, the finished monument reflects every tiny detail in bronze,’ said Brown.
Walton led the UCLA Bruins to national championships in the early 1970s before joining the NBA and playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego Clippers, and Boston Celtics. Walton won two NBA championships and was named the NBA’s most valuable player. He was eventually inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and named as one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of all time.