Luke Walton

Luke Walton

Los Angeles Lakers  – No. 4[1]
Small forward, Power Forward
Born	March 28, 1980 (1980-03-28) (age 29) San Diego, California
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	232 lb (105 kg)
League	NBA
Salary	$4,840,000[1]
High school	University of San Diego
College	Arizona
Draft	2nd round, 32nd overall, 2003 Los Angeles Lakers
Pro career	2003–present
Awards	1x NBA Champion (2009)
Profile	Info Page

Luke Theodore Walton (born March 28, 1980, in San Diego, California) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His position is at small forward.

Biography

Early life

As the son of former NBA great Bill Walton, Luke Walton was no stranger to the sport of basketball during his upbringing. Walton was named after Bill's close friend and former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Maurice Lucas. His three brothers — Adam, Nathan (who unsuccessfully ran for governor during the 2003 California recall), and Chris — also play or have played basketball for their schools. He went to Shady Hill School (in Cambridge, Massachusetts) while his father was playing for the Boston Celtics.

College

After graduating from University of San Diego High School in 1998, Walton enrolled at the University of Arizona and majored in family studies. There, he played for the Wildcats under coach Lute Olson. In his junior year, Walton averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. As a fifth year senior, he averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 0.9 steals.

Walton graduated from Arizona at the end of 2003, and was selected by the Lakers in the 2003 NBA Draft with the third pick of the second round (32nd overall). Standing at 6 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing 235 pounds, Walton has been with the Lakers for his entire NBA career.

NBA career

Walton in 2008.

Walton has been praised for being skilled in the fundamentals of basketball: positioning, timing, and teamwork. Many NBA experts and enthusiasts view Walton as a smart player of the game who has a high basketball IQ and one who understands the game of basketball deeply. In the past, he has shown precise passing skills, with the know-how to operate on plays like a point guard. He is also considered as an all-around player. His passing skills brought him great success in the triangle offense under coach Phil Jackson. Some critics, however, believe Walton's tendency to pass rather than shoot occasionally hampers his team's offense. On occasion, he has declined to shoot an open shot even in the crucial waning seconds of a game, choosing instead to pass, despite there not being enough time remaining for his teammate to receive the pass and attempt the needed shot.

Walton suffered an injury in the 2004 preseason and was unable to find a place in Rudy Tomjanovich's rotation, but returned to a regular spot in the lineup after the coach's resignation midway through the season.

In 2006–07, Walton had a career year, with career high per game averages in minutes, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, steals, blocks, rebounds, assists and points. His PER also reached a career high, and Luke was widely regarded as the most improved player on the Lakers roster, showing the ability to stretch his range past the three-point line, rebound well, and work hard to disprove the critics who doubted his athleticism. Following the season, on July 12, 2007, Walton was signed to a 6-year, $30 million contract, based partly on the potential shown from the preceding season.

Personal life

Walton owns a restaurant, Joey's Smokin' BBQ, located in Manhattan Beach, California.^[2] On his right arm, there is a tattoo of four Grateful Dead-type dancing skeletons, each one with a basketball; the skeletons represent Luke and his three brothers.

In 2006, Walton made a cameo appearance on the television soap opera, The Young and the Restless.^[3] In 2007, Walton was rumored to be dating Britney Spears, but he clarified that he is dating Bre Ladd, a former volleyball player at the University of Arizona.^[4]

In December 2008, a woman pleaded no contest to charges of stalking Walton; she was arrested after she pulled up to Walton's car and pretended to fire gunshots at him with her hand. She was sentenced to three years' probation, told to attend weekly counseling sessions for a year and ordered to stay away for three years from Walton's home and from the Lakers' games and practices.^[5]

Player profile

Though his assist averages are low he is a good passer. Analysts on the Southern California broadcast Lakers Live make note that Walton always looks to pass first. Stu Lantz refers to Walton as a "stat-filler", meaning a player who fills a small portion of the recorded NBA statistics.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Notes

External links

• Luke Walton Info Page at NBA.com

• Luke Walton Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com