Bill Walton: 'I have started a new life'

Sunday is Father's Day, but for Bill Walton every day now is.

Two years ago, due to a debilitating back injury that made him go so far as to contemplate suicide, Walton could only make it to the three Los Angeles games when his son's Lakers faced Boston in the NBA Finals. Last year, he was in too much pain to make to any Lakers' Finals games, and he missed seeing forward Luke Walton earn his first NBA title ring in the triumph over Orlando.

"After he won that championship, Luke was the happiest that he's ever been. ... But I couldn't be there,'' said the father who didn't see his son after the Finals until later in the summer.

Bill Walton has not backed off from saying he thought about suicide, but he never came close to trying it. His NBA career from 1974-87 was devastated by injuries, namely to his feet.

He's had 36 orthopedic surgeries, and his back problems first surfaced when he was undercut by a Washington State player while with UCLA in 1974. Even though his most recent surgery was 15 months ago, Walton said it was about a year until he started feeling much better earlier this year.

"I had nothing for 2 1/2 years, but now I'm rebuilding my life,'' said Walton, who at times during his ordeal couldn't even get off the floor. "I'm the luckiest man in the world.