History of Luke Walton in Timeline
Luke Walton is a former NBA player and coach, currently the lead assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons. He played 10 seasons in the NBA as a forward, winning two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also won a title as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. He later served as head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers (2016-2019) and the Sacramento Kings (2019-2021).
1977: Bill Walton wins NBA Championship
In 1977, Bill Walton, Luke's father, won an NBA championship.
March 28, 1980: Luke Walton's Birth
On March 28, 1980, Luke Theodore Walton was born, later becoming an NBA player, assistant coach and head coach.
1986: Bill Walton wins another NBA Championship
In 1986, Bill Walton won another NBA championship. He and Luke would later become the first father and son to have both won multiple NBA championships.
1991: Largest Margin of Victory Since 1991
In October 2015, under Luke Walton the Warriors had the largest margin of victory in the league since 1991.
1998: Graduation from High School
In 1998, Luke Walton graduated from University of San Diego High School in San Diego, California.
2002: Met Bre Ladd
In 2002, Luke Walton met Bre Ladd at the University of Arizona.
2003: NBA Draft Selection
In 2003, Luke Walton was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 32nd overall pick in the NBA draft.
2003: Drafted by the Lakers
In 2003, Luke Walton was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA draft.
2003: Graduation from Arizona
In the spring of 2003, Luke Walton graduated from the University of Arizona, completing work in family studies and human development.
2004: Teammate with Vlade Divac
In 2004, Luke Walton was teammates with Vlade Divac on the Los Angeles Lakers, which was Divac's final NBA season after spending six with Sacramento.
2005: Began Dating Bre Ladd
In 2005, Luke Walton and Bre Ladd started dating.
2005: Shooting Stars Competition
In 2005, Luke Walton represented Team Los Angeles in the Shooting Stars Competition during All-Star Weekend.
December 8, 2006: Career-High Scoring Game
On December 8, 2006, Luke Walton scored a career-high 25 points against the Atlanta Hawks.
2006: Statistically Best Season
In 2006, Luke Walton had his best statistical season, averaging over 11 points, 5 rebounds, and over 4 assists per game.
July 12, 2007: Signed 6-Year Contract
On July 12, 2007, Luke Walton signed a 6-year, $30 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
December 2008: Stalking Incident
In December 2008, a woman pleaded no contest to stalking Luke Walton, resulting in a three-year probation sentence and a restraining order.
2008: NBA Finals Loss
In 2008, Luke Walton and the Lakers lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
2009: Father-Son Championship Duo
In 2009, Luke Walton and his father became the third father-son duo to both win NBA championships as players.
2009: NBA Championship
In 2009, Luke Walton won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.
2010: Second NBA Championship
In 2010, Luke Walton secured his second NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, defeating the Boston Celtics.
2011: Assistant Coach at Memphis
In 2011, Luke Walton began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the University of Memphis during the NBA lockout.
March 15, 2012: Traded to Cleveland Cavaliers
On March 15, 2012, Luke Walton was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with Jason Kapono and a 2012 first-round draft choice.
2012: Lakers best record since 2012-13 season
Luke Walton's second season with the Lakers saw another slight improvement, as the team finished 35–47, its best record since the 2012-13 season.
April 5, 2013: Final NBA Game
On April 5, 2013, Luke Walton played his final NBA game in a victory over the Boston Celtics, recording 2 assists in 3 minutes.
November 2013: Player Development Coach for D-Fenders
In November 2013, Luke Walton was hired as a player development coach by the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League.
2013: Marriage to Bre Ladd
In 2013, Luke Walton married his long-time girlfriend, Bre Ladd.
2013: Joins Lakers Broadcast Team
In 2013, Luke Walton was hired by Spectrum SportsNet to join their Lakers on-air broadcast team.
2014: Tennant Publishes Book
In 2014, Kelli Tennant published a book. Luke Walton was initially credited as the author of the foreword, but he later denied writing it.
2014: Assistant Coach for Golden State
In 2014, Luke Walton became an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
October 2015: Named Warriors Interim Head Coach
In October 2015, Luke Walton was appointed as the Warriors' interim head coach.
2015: Warriors Interim Head Coach
In 2015, Luke Walton served as the Warriors' interim head coach, guiding the team to a 24-game winning streak to start the season.
2015: NBA Championship as Assistant Coach
In 2015, as an assistant coach, Luke Walton won his third NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors.
January 22, 2016: Kerr Resumes Coaching Full-Time
On January 22, 2016, Steve Kerr resumed coaching full-time for the Warriors, after Luke Walton served as the interim head coach.
April 29, 2016: Hired as Lakers Head Coach
On April 29, 2016, Luke Walton was hired as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
2016: Hired as Lakers Head Coach
In 2016, Luke Walton was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, a position he held until 2019.
2018: LeBron James Signs with the Lakers
In 2018, the Lakers signed LeBron James, setting high expectations for the team under Luke Walton's coaching.
April 12, 2019: Parted Ways with Lakers
On April 12, 2019, Luke Walton and the Los Angeles Lakers mutually agreed to part ways after he served as their head coach.
April 14, 2019: Hired as Kings Head Coach
On April 14, 2019, Luke Walton was hired as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings.
April 22, 2019: Sexual Assault Lawsuit Filed
On April 22, 2019, Kelli Tennant filed a civil lawsuit against Luke Walton, accusing him of sexual assault.
2019: Departure from Lakers and Hire by Kings
In 2019, Luke Walton departed from the Los Angeles Lakers and was hired as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings.
2020: Kings Season
In 2020, The Sacramento Kings finished the season 31-41 again in 2020-21 under Luke Walton's coaching.
November 21, 2021: Fired by Kings
On November 21, 2021, Luke Walton was fired by the Sacramento Kings after a 6-11 start to the 2021-22 season.
2021: Fired by the Sacramento Kings
In 2021, Luke Walton was fired by the Sacramento Kings after serving as their head coach since 2019.
May 31, 2022: Hired as Cavaliers Assistant Coach
On May 31, 2022, Luke Walton was hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers as an assistant coach.
July 12, 2024: Hired as Pistons Lead Assistant Coach
On July 12, 2024, Luke Walton was hired as the lead assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons.
