Dead & Company pay tribute to late NBA legend Bill Walton at Las Vegas Sphere show

1 June, 2024

Dead & Company performing live.

Dead & Company have paid tribute to late NBA legend Bill Walton while performing at the Las Vegas Sphere.

Dead & Company – comprised of John Mayer and the surviving members of the Grateful Dead – performed the seventh of their 24 dates at the Sphere on Thursday (May 30). During the concert, they honoured the legacy of longtime Grateful Dead fan and NBA icon Bill Walton, who died last week at the age of 71 in San Diego following a battle with colon cancer.

During the show, the band flashed a collection of images of Walton across the massive screens in the venue from throughout his career and his time hanging out with the band. They also included a huge banner of Walton’s jersey number in tie-dye across the venue’s screens.

Last night (May 31), the band posted images of the concert and the tributes on social media. You can view them below.

Watch fan-shot footage of the tribute below.

This isn’t the first time the surviving members of the Grateful Dead have paid tribute to Walton since his passing. Following the news of his death last week, the Dead & Company social media accounts shared various photos of the Hall of Famer in the crowd and on stage with the group while dressed up in costumes.

“Fare you well, fare you well, we love you more than words can tell,” began the statement shared on the Dead & company Instagram page. “Bill was an irreplaceable force and spirit in our family. Father Time, Rhythm Devil, biggest deadhead ever. Over 1000 shows and couldn’t get enough. He loved this band and we loved him.”

Pearl Jam have also paid tribute to Walton, dedicating ‘Man Of The Hour’ to the late NBA player during a concert at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Eddie Vedder said: “We woke up yesterday to the sad news that somebody that we had met a number of times and every time we saw him it made such a huge impression. He was a big man with a huge heart and cut a wide path of peace and love behind him.”

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