50th Anniversary: Wally Walker Reflects—UVA’s 1st ACC Win & His Storied Career (In-person)

Hosted By Lifetime Learning
LeMeridien Hotel (Cardinal Ballroom), 555 South McDowell Street, Charlotte, NC 28204
SHARE:
Event Details

UVA legend Wally Walker joins Lifetime Learning, Office of Engagement, for an exclusive conversation reflecting on his remarkable journey—on and off the court. As UVA commemorates the 50th anniversary of its first ACC basketball championship and its first NCAA Tournament appearance, Walker offers rare insights from a career that helped shape Cavalier history.

Join us for a dynamic and insightful conversation with Wally Walker as he reflects on the evolution of college basketball, the lessons learned across an extraordinary career, and the enduring legacy of UVA Athletics.
 

Biography

Wally Walker headshot

Wally Walker, a UVA basketball legend and two time NBA Champion, returned to Grounds in 2023 as Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Revenue Officer. In this role, he leads strategic partnerships and revenue-generating initiatives across UVA Athletics, including collaborations with Cav Futures, PlayFly/Virginia Sports Properties, and the Virginia Athletics Foundation, where he also serves as a major gifts officer. His leadership helps guide UVA through the evolving landscape of college athletics, particularly in areas related to name, image, and likeness.

A star of the 1976 Cavaliers, Walker led UVA to its first ACC championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance, earning ACC Tournament MVP honors. He graduated as a First Team Academic All-American with 1,849 career points, and his No. 41 jersey is retired at UVA.

Selected fifth overall in the 1976 NBA Draft, Walker enjoyed an eight-year career that included NBA titles with Portland (1977) and Seattle (1979). After retiring, he earned his MBA from Stanford, worked at Goldman Sachs, founded his own investment firm, and later became general manager, president, and CEO of the Seattle SuperSonics, as well as president of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.

Walker has served on UVA’s Board of Visitors, the NCAA Honors Committee, and was named to the Hillyard Silver Anniversary All-America Team. He is also the founder of Hana Road Capital LLC and brings more than three decades of financial and executive leadership experience back to the University.