Finally, in an attempt to see just how far his opinions ranged, I posed one final question. Bill, I asked, what should I eat for lunch: turkey or ham? In his response, I fully expected Walton to say something along the lines of "GO HAM OR GO HOME!" But on this one, he surprised me.
"Chris," he said, with ultimate gravity, "It's your lunch, your life, your choice."
Looking back now, the whole 25-minute interview was so outlandish and ideal for my (sarcastic) purposes that, like Bill's on-air persona, I remain unsure whether it was merely an act. But maybe, in the end, it didn't matter. Maybe that last quote -- the one about "your lunch, your life, your choice" -- gets at the core of Walton's appeal. As emphatic as he was, as declarative as he was, it never felt like Walton was trying to convince us that he was right. Instead, he saw himself as starting a conversation, as being the eternal devil's advocate. So many analysts seem as if they're dead-set on trying to convert us to their point of view, and affect scorn if anyone dares question their authority. For these men, their certitude is born of expertise but may also be rooted in insecurity, a feeling that they have to be right. Not Walton. All along, he assumed that we as viewers would arrive at our own convictions in the end. He was just there to spur us along.
I love this commentary on Bill Walton. I was never the biggest fan of his color analysis, but as I reflect on this perspective from Chris Ballard I appreciate how I can use his lesson in my own life and career. Be bold in my convictions, but don't force them on others as if they were gospel truth. Good stuff here.
Chris Bailey
