As anyone who has poked their nose into any of the various "Announcer" threads that pop up from time to time might recall, I am probably one of the biggest Bill Walton fans on DBR, so as such, this recommendation should probably be taken with a dietitian-shuddering dose of salt.
I finished Walton's memoir, "Back From The Dead", and I thought it was one of the best basketball books I've ever read, in the same class as Bill Russell's "Second Wind". There is a lot for Walton haters to dislike: chapter names from song lyrics, the tendency to use a half-dozen SAT adjectives in a description when two or maybe three good ones are sufficient, and too many bits of the usual Deadhead / Neil / Dylan mystical musical blather.
What makes this book a winner for me is the perspective that Walton has gained since his recovery from debilitating back pain and the resulting suicidal depression. Of course, there are plenty of basketball stories, and overcoming-all-odds episodes about regaining mobility, becoming a broadcaster despite his stuttering, etc. The depth of his lasting decades-long relationship with Coach Wooden makes me jealous; I have no such relationship with any of the teachers or coaches that have passed through my life. I wonder at the man's ability to stay positive, enthusiastic, and motivated despite all the physical damage he's accumulated.
It would be an interesting exercise if one of the DBR Walton skeptics / haters checked the book out of the library, had a go at it, and shared their thoughts. There's a pretty decent cross-section here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...-from-the-dead
As for me, I am thinking I might make it a permanent addition to the Turk library, perhaps even splurging for a signed copy on ebay...