The NBA again lost one of the legends, Bill Walton, on May 27, 2024, after a long battle with cancer. NBA announced the news on behalf of Bill’s family as his wife and sons were trying to cope with the news and had to prepare for his funeral.
Bill Walton had recently recovered from his year-long spinal and ankle injury while fighting through depression around 2009.
He said his recovery was all thanks to his wife, Lori Matsuoka, for her constant support, enabling the NBA MVP to live longer.
In an interview, Bill continued that while he was on the verge of giving up, Lori would attach little post-it notes with powerful messages, which captured the recovery milestone of the two-time NBA champion.
After around 8 months of his final surgery, Bill could experience a normal life with his wife, Lori Matsuoka Walton, till he took his last breath at the age of 71.
The second wife of Bill Walton, Lori Matsuoka Walton, is a 61-year-old Asian woman
According to Bill Walton, he met his wife, Lori Matsuoka, in a church, while Lori said they had their first encounter at a 1990 Grateful Dead concert in San Diego.
Lori Matsuoka is a 61-year-old celebrity spouse from California, US, with Japanese, Hawaiian, and Japanese roots. She practices Christianity and holds American nationality.
Lori graduated from the University of California Los Angeles in 1986 with a Business and Sociology degree and holds sales and marketing experience in Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Black & Decker, and Ray-Ban.
She is also an influential Lifestyle blogger, a member of six nonprofit committees, and a philanthropist who serves on around nine nonprofit boards.
She has organized over 17 fundraising events, mostly focused on promoting the arts, animals, the military, and children.
Currently, Lori is working her dream job in Giving Back Magazine as a Philanthropy Editor.
Lori Matsuoka has been by Bill Walton’s side since 1990 and married him in 1991, but she never had a child as she was happy being stepmother to Bill’s four sons from his first marriage to Susan Guth from 1979 to 1989.
They lived in San Diego with Bill’s sons Adam, Nathan, Luke, and Chris, and three grandchildren, Olivia, Avery Rose, and Chase, who will miss Bill as the most amazing husband, father, and grandfather.
His family also includes his sisters Iza and Cathy and brothers Bruce and Andy.
May Bill Walton’s gentle soul rest in peace. We at Superslice send our regards to his wife and family.
Additional Information
- Bill Walton grew up in a musically rich family with a music-teacher father and a librarian mother, who encouraged their children to appreciate all art forms.
- Almost 7 feet tall, Bill Walton was part of the NBA family for 50 years.
- During his NBA career, Bill had to go through challenges like a spine collapse, bad back, broken bones, ankle and foot problems, knee injuries, a broken nose, and 38 orthopedic surgeries.
