fox5sandiego
LA MESA, Calif.
(FOX 5/KUSI) -- The city of La Mesa is honoring its favorite son and hometown hero, Bill Walton, as city council members unveiled the highly anticipated Bill Walton Way sign in front of Helix High School, the NBA Hall of Famer's alma mater.
The honorary street sign stands at the intersection of Lowell Street and Normal Avenue, greeting students and staff of the La Mesa high school as they pull into the student parking lot.
The unveiling, which took place Wednesday, June 10, comes just weeks after the two-year anniversary of Walton's passing.
"A great San Diegan, he used to play for the San Diego Clippers," said Rick Wilson, President and CEO of the San Diego Regional East County of Commerce.
"But he was also a real community person.
When I used to work at the YMCA in San Diego County, he was really involved, to really lift up the entire community.
It's just an honor to be here and celebrate this day." Mayor of La Mesa Mark Arapostathis and Councilmember Patricia Dillard presented the unveiling ceremony following the proposal for the honorary street's designation, which was approved unanimously by city council members in April.
"A significant way to truly honor Bill," said Councilmember Dillard.
"If you drive down this street for any reason, you will see his name: Bill Walton Way.
"I'm a resident of 30 years, and all three of my children graduated from Helix Charter High School, so it's truly been a privilege even working with them, and we're very excited and honored to be able to do it, not just for him but for the Walton family." Walton graduated from Helix in 1970 and broke several school basketball records that still stand today.
The 6-foot-11 La Mesa native was a legend on the court with the Highlanders, leading the team to back-to-back CIF championships.
His senior season was historic, as he averaged 25 points and 25 boards per game and went undefeated with an astounding 33-0 record.
After Helix, he spent his collegiate career at UCLA, where he dominated.
Walton led the Bruins to a pair of national titles and was named national player of the year three times.
"Bill has just done incredible things in our community," Wilson said.
"And then he had an incredible career as an anchor on TV, so everyone knew who he was, and that really draws more attention to San Diego.
He was very involved with challenged athletes when we were working together at the YMCA, but Bill, just in general, was a giver." In addition to his Hall of Fame NBA career, during which he won two championships with Portland and Boston, Walton was a philanthropist, deeply involved with the Lucky Duck Foundation to alleviate homelessness throughout San Diego County and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
The Bill Walton Foundation was publicly launched in 2026 to mentor future generations.
"It wasn't just that he was a basketball player, it wasn't just that he won championships, it was also what he gave back to the community, and then just the kind of character that he was," said Councilmember Dillard.
"We couldn't have had a better hero for our city." While Walton tragically passed away on May 27, 2024, at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer, his larger-than-life spirit on and off the court will live on forever in the hearts of Highlanders and San Diegans.