Walton's back-to-back issues

ESPN's immediate plans are to have Bill Walton back as part of its NBA Finals coverage when the Hall of Famer does studio analysis on Thursday's 3 p.m. "SportsCenter" from Staples Center before Game 4.
That's if Walton's back cooperates.
The Basketball Hall of Famer said Wednesday that it's been a slow recovery from buldging discs, pinched nerves, spinal stenosis and damaged ligaments and tendons in his lower back that has put him in agonizing pain since late February.
Walton said the problem started when he was getting off a plane in San Diego on Feb. 25 when his hip and back started to bother him. Walton is accustomed to all kinds of pain -- as he says, he was "the most injured athlete in the history of sports," missing more than nine seasons in a 14-year NBA career because of foot problems. But this was different.
"The pain just took me to the floor and I've spent the better part of six weeks trying to recover," he said. "I couldn't do anything except go to the doctor all the time."
He said he was able to go to the NBA Finals Game 3 on Tuesday to see his son, Luke, play for the first time since the NBA's All-Star weekend. Physical therapy, yoga stretching, accupuncture and cycling has got him to the point where can move better. He said he's also visited former UCLA coach John Wooden twice in the last five weeks on one-day drives from San Diego to Encino.
As for how much he'll do returning to ESPN or ABC, where has been doing games and studio work the last 13 years, he doubts he'll be able to fly to Boston for Games 6 and 7 if necessary.
"It's really up to ESPN," Walton said about doing any more broadcasting of the NBA Finals. "Every day is an advanture, but I'm convinced I will be able to make it all the way back and plan on continuing my broadcasting career on a fulltime level."