Tyreke Evans’ show-stopping moves will now be narrated by Walton, which can only mean one thing: you need to watch more Kings games. Reports the Sacramento Bee: “Fifteen months after undergoing innovative spinal surgery, he can stand again. He can sit again. He can sleep again. He can travel again. He always talked a great game, and so the next step, this next giant stride, transports him into the Kings’ broadcast booth on a limited basis. The plan is to start slowly, to stay on his feet. Initially, he will work Kings broadcasts in Los Angeles and provide commentary while watching other games at a television studio near his home in San Diego. The end game is whatever Walton wants it to be. Or what his health allows. While the pairing certainly appears incongruous, this union between the sharp-tongued Walton and a sensitive, small-town franchise, keep in mind that the Maloofs are both shrewd businessmen and complete softies for heartwarming stories. The conversation started when Joe Maloof read T.J. Simers’ compelling account of Walton’s struggles in the Los Angeles Times and chased down the big redhead’s phone number … Walton’s day begins at a local YMCA at 4:30 a.m. He swims, lifts weights, stretches, relaxes. His pain is manageable now, he says, and no longer prevents air travel, which is one reason he isn’t limiting his future with the Kings. ‘When Joe called, I was flattered,’ said Walton. ‘He said, ‘Bill, we have something special starting here and we want you to be a part of it.’ I told him I would do anything they wanted. We didn’t even talk money. This is about starting my life over again with a dynamic organization, and with fans who have been touched by something that’s very special. We want to get back to that as quickly as possible.'”
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