Rick Carlisle and Bill Walton were teammates with the Boston Celtics for two seasons in the 1980s.
In 1986, the two helped the Celtics capture the NBA championship. One year later, Walton gave Carlisle an assist in landing in wife, Donna.
Carlisle told the story about Walton, a Grateful Dead diehard, helping him impress his future wife before Game 4 of the Indiana Pacers-Boston Celtics series on Monday night, hours after Walton passed away of cancer at the age of 71.
“Our first date was to a Dead show in Washington, D.C., and I called Bill and I said ‘Look… I got a date with a girl that I think is pretty cool. I’d love to go to the Dead show at Capital Centre. I don’t have any tickets. Can you help?’ And he said, ‘Just go to the back door, ask for Dennis McNally, tell him you’re Rick Carlisle from the Boston Celtics and everything will be just fine,'” Carlisle explained.
“The whole thing ended up working out. I walked back up the loading dock ramp with two all-access laminates – one said Bill Walton and one said Susie Walton,” Carlisle said. “So we were set up for the show, and we were actually on stage watching the show. And during the break, we kind of just wandered into the back and just opened up a door and ended up sitting down with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart for about 15 minutes just shooting the [bleep]. It was an unbelievable night and obviously it was a good first date.”
“I have him to thank for me being married to my wife Donna. Our first date was to a (Grateful) Dead show in Washington DC.”
Rick Carlisle says Bill Walton helped him get special tickets to a Grateful Dead show. pic.twitter.com/QbsByFXPfe
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) May 27, 2024
Carlisle added that Walton had been keeping in touch with him throughout the postseason as the Pacers made their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, which ended with last night’s loss to Boston.
“What an amazing man. There will never be another,” Carlisle said.