As the Warriors' interim head coach in 2015–16, he guided the team to the longest winning streak to open a season in league history at 24 games.

A two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection,[6] his best year statistically was as a junior, when he averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.

Walton was a favorite of Lakers fans during his nine-year stint and earned a reputation as a selfless, hard-working reserve player.

For the season he posted career-high per-game averages in minutes, field goal percentage, steals, blocks, rebounds, assists and points as the Lakers starting small forward.

On March 15, 2012, Walton was traded along with Jason Kapono and a 2012 first-round draft choice to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga.

During 2015–16 training camp in October 2015, Walton was appointed as the Warriors interim head coach when Steve Kerr took an indefinite leave of absence to rehabilitate his back that had been bothering him after the NBA Finals.

[17] With a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on November 24, he guided the Warriors to a 16th consecutive victory to start the season, a new NBA record.

[18] Walton was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October and November, after guiding Golden State to a 19–0 start.

[24] On April 29, 2016, the Lakers hired Walton to become their new head coach once the Warriors' season ended in the 2016 NBA Finals.

[25] In his first season with the Lakers, the team improved upon their franchise worst 17–65 record from the previous year, finishing 26–56.

During the season, Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss were replaced by Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka.

[27][28] Along with James and a core of young prospects, the front office completed the roster with veterans on one-year deals, a group that was rich in ball handlers but lacking in shooters.

[27] The Lakers were 20–14 after a Christmas win over Golden State, but James and Rajon Rondo were injured during the game, which began a downturn from which the team never recovered, ending the season 37–45.

As a team, Lakers players missed over 210 games due to injuries, and Walton used more than 25 different starting lineups during the season.

[31] The Kings began the 2019–20 season 0–5 after losing forward Marvin Bagley III for weeks when he suffered a broken thumb in the closing minutes of a 29-point, season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns.

[33] The Kings finished 31–41 again in 2020–21,[34] extending the franchise's playoff drought to 15 seasons, which was the longest active streak in the league.

[38] In December 2008, a woman named Stacy Elizabeth Beshear pleaded no contest to charges of stalking Walton.

[44] On April 22, 2019, former Spectrum SportsNet host Kelli Tennant filed a civil lawsuit against Walton, accusing him of sexual assault.

[49] She alleged that the assault occurred afterwards, when she dropped off a copy of the book to Walton in a hotel in Santa Monica, California, while he was an assistant with Golden State.

[46] Walton denied the charges;[50] he acknowledged their meeting at the hotel, but wrote in court filings that "their encounter was very short, entirely pleasant and consensual.