At their Seattle concert at Climate Pledge Arena, Pearl Jam paid a heartfelt tribute to NBA legend Bill Walton, who recently passed away. The band dedicated their song “Man of the Hour” to Walton, with frontman Eddie Vedder reflecting on his impact.
During the performance, Vedder expressed his admiration for Walton, saying, “We woke up yesterday to the sad news about a person who made a huge impression on us every time we met him. He was a big man with a huge heart and spread peace and love wherever he went.” He added, “We just want to publicly state our love for you. Thanks for all the positive energy. Wish us luck down here. I know you’re fine.”
Walton, who died at 71 from cancer, was remembered by the NBA, with commissioner Adam Silver describing him as “truly one of a kind” and noting his redefinition of the center position. Walton’s career included two NBA championships and both regular-season and Finals MVP awards.
Known for his passion for music, Walton was a familiar face at rock concerts and often brought up Bob Dylan in basketball commentary. The Grateful Dead, his favorite band, paid tribute to him on social media. Dead & Company wrote, “Bill was an irreplaceable force and spirit in our family. Father Time, Rhythm Devil, biggest deadhead ever. Over 1,000 shows and couldn’t get enough. He loved this band and we loved him.”
Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann also shared their tributes. Weir posted photos with Walton, saying, “Yo Bill, thanks for the ride. Thanks for the wonderful friendship, the years of color commentary — and the Hall of Fame existence that you wore like headlights.”
Hart called Walton “the best friend I ever had,” sharing a picture of them laughing together. “He called himself the luckiest man in the world, but it was us who were lucky — to know him, to share the adventure with him. He was the biggest Deadhead in the world and used our music as the soundtrack to his life. After our shows, he would regularly send messages that said, ‘Thank you for my life.'”