Basketball legend inspires crowd at ‘Sports Nite Out’ fund-raiser

by Ron Kaplan
NJJN Staff Writer

Basketball great Bill Walton regaled a crowd of 350 hardwood enthusiasts with a mixture of anecdotes and life lessons at the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ’s Sports Nite Out, held March 22 at the Aidekman Jewish Community Campus in Whippany.

The event raised over $100,000 for UJC MetroWest from individual donations and corporate sponsors, including Friedman LLP, Gledmede, Intervention Strategies International Inc., JB Hanauer & Co., and RBC Dain Rauscher. The sum included $21,000 for 21 personalized basketballs signed by Walton for those making an initial or additional contribution of $1,000; one fan paid $5,000 for the privilege of attending a private lunch with Walton.

Admission to the event ranged from $75 to $90. Those who made annual donations of $10,000 or more to UJC were treated to a private reception in the Drench Gymnasium, where Walton posed for pictures, signed autographs, and generally shmoozed prior to the main event.

During his hour-plus presentation, the Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst spoke in an almost stream-of-consciousness patter, but all his stories ultimately came back to common themes of hard work and values.

“I am touched by your sacrifice, your leadership, and your commitment,” he said. “The sense of dedication, the sense of responsibility that I get in my brief meeting with you is overwhelming.”

Walton compared the love of sports to the importance of serving the community, qualities that are traditionally handed down from one generation to the next. “To see what you have built here, to see the community, to see the team, and most importantly, to see the future when I see all these little children…. That sense of happiness, that sense of joy, but, most importantly, that sense of hope — that is what you folks have given, not only to your community, but to these young children.

“That doesn’t just happen,” Walton said. “That is because of all the determination on this great team at United Jewish Communities.”

Looking up in awe

“I’m an enormous Walton fan,” said Ashley Steinhart of Short Hills. “The first thing I did was thank him for helping me raise my son and two grandsons correctly — I pointed to Bill Walton as a role model.” Seated next to Shelby was 84-year-old Marvin Simson, also of Short Hills. Listening to his friend’s comments, the diminutive gentleman joked, “I’m just a small fan,” as he recalled his own playing days on the playgrounds of Weequahic High School in Newark. Both Steinhart and Simson agreed that Walton was a sharp contrast to today’s ballplayers, who, they said, engage in “too much showmanship, too much playing for individual glory.”

In contrast to Simson, some in the audience were obviously too young to have seen the 6'11" Walton ply his trade in person, but they still looked on (and up) in awe while their elders swapped favorite basketball memories.

David Waldenberg of Livingston brought his 11-year-old son Todd to the program. In an e-mail sent to NJJN after the program, he explained: “I brought my son because, like me, he is a sports enthusiast. We both thought this was a great opportunity for us to share our common likes and spend some time together.

“After the evening, Todd remarked it was a shame Bill and his father had difficulty expressing their love for each other. He said he was glad he always thanked and understood the effort parents make for their kids,” said Waldenberg. “When we got home, Todd thanked me for taking him and said he loved me. How can a father expect anything better?”

Walton was a three-time recipient of the NCAA Player of the Year Award at University of California-Los Angeles, which he led to two national titles. He played from 1974 to 1988 for the Portland Trailblazers, the San Diego (later Los Angeles) Clippers, and the Boston Celtics, and was the league’s most valuable player in 1978. Injuries cost him three full seasons.

Livingston resident Gregg Auerbach of JB Hanauer & Co. and Michael Lichtenstein, a lawyer from Montville, cochaired the program. Although Auerbach claimed not to be much of a sports fan, he did note that he was a distant relative of the legendary Red Auerbach, coach of the Celtics during the 1950s and ’60s and a member of the front office when Walton was on the team.

Lichtenstein, on the other hand, counted himself a “big basketball fan and a big fan of Bill Walton.” In a telephone interview the day after the event, he called the turnout “fantastic. Walton was great. Inspiring and entertaining….He struck the right note.”

As the audience filed out at the end of the program, Todd Waldenberg clutched one of the prized balls.

So did Marvin Simson, that “small fan” from the schoolyards of Newark.

Ron Kaplan can be reached at RKaplan@njjewishnews.com.