Dead & Company Honor Bill Walton At Sphere Concert

Bill Walton got the ultimate send-off Thursday night after his favorite band paid tribute to the late basketball star and commentator.

During last night's Dead & Company show at Las Vegas's Sphere, the band performed ‘Fire on the Mountain’ while a video montage showed Walton enjoying some of his favorite moments with the band throughout the decades.

WALTON SAW OVER 850 GRATEFUL DEAD CONCERTS

To show just how big of a Deadhead Walton was, the various photos and video clips of him with the band lasted nearly FIVE MINUTES as the Vegas audience erupted into thunderous applause during the final image of a tie-dyed Walton #32 jersey on the screen.

The at-times controversial but always beloved Bill Walton died from cancer last Monday at the age of 71. Tributes came pouring in from fellow athletes, fans, broadcasters and many more. In his 2016 memoir, Walton said that the Grateful Dead taught him "how to become a champion" and said that at the time he had seen them play over 850 shows! 

Think about that for a second. Eight hundred and fifty concerts of a single band is wild - and the Dead, no less - talk about getting a contact high!

After the announcement of his passing, both Dead & Co. and Dead guitarist John Mayer (Yes, that John Mayer) posted their condolences on their social networks to Bill. John Mayer has played with Dead & Co. for a number of years now.

Walton is survived by his wife and sons.