Fans Cheer Bill Walton Tribute at Dead & Company Show in Las Vegas

The late Bill Walton was honored this week by Dead & Company during a performance at Sphere in Las Vegas.

The legendary basketball star, who made a name for himself both in the college ranks and in the NBA, before moving on to become a heralded broadcaster, died Monday at the age of 71.

Walton, a La Mesa native and longtime resident of San Diego, also happened to be a renowned Grateful Dead fan, hence the salute from Dead & Company.

According to Rolling Stone, the band paid tribute to Walton on Thursday during “Fire on the Mountain,” when the huge screen for which the Sphere is famous showed a photo of him in a tie-dye Dead shirt, drawing a huge cheer.

That launched a montage composed of photos of Walton with band members, as a fan in the audience and even in costume.

He once asked of the band, “What could possibly be more special than being a part of the Grateful Dead? The relationship between the band and their fans and what both mean to each other – it’s so much like being on a great basketball team for a long time. You have fantastic fans who drive you.”

Dead & Company, made up the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart and Bob Weir, along with musician John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, began its Sphere residency, “Dead Forever – Live At Sphere,” on May 16.

The band, in a statement upon Walton’s death, said, “Over 1000 shows and (he) couldn’t get enough. He loved this band and we loved him.”

Dead & Company’s Las Vegas run continues through Aug. 10.