R.I.P. Bill Walton

[texasdave]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nba/article-13464853/NBA-hall-famer-Bill-Walton-dies-aged-71-battle-cancer.html?ito=windows-widget-push-notification&ci=583254

Maybe the single greatest performance in a collegiate basketball game. NCAA Final - UCLA vs. Memphis. Walton went 21 for 22 from the field. Bill scored 44 points and ripped down 13 rebounds. Thanks for that memory, Mr. Walton.

[RedTeamGo!]

Dude just couldn’t live without the PAC12.

RIP

[westofyou]

Bumped into Walton forty years ago next month, going into the Greek Theater to see the Dead. "Bill what's up?" He replied, "Here to see the film." During the set break we could see him and Bob Weir shooting hoops behind the stage... but we still didn't know what he meant about the film, until the encore when the lights were all out and a film started behind the band as the kicked into Dark Star for the first time in over a decade

[Roy Tucker]

Wow. This one hit me. Walton was my age so I always followed him through college, the pros, and his post-playing career. was a huge UD fan through high school and beyond and UD’s 1974 triple OT loss to UCLA 111-100 was one of the craziest and thrilling games I’d ever watched. Walton played for UCLA who was the premier team for so long. And getting drafted by Portland and winning the NBA championship as a hippie was cool. That Portland team (with UD’s Johnny Davis) was the best *team* I’ve ever seen. Just gorgeous basketball. I always liked to hear what Walton had to say during his announcing career. Sometimes it was very insightful and sometimes I think he hit the bong a little hard.

But being the same age, he was always a touchstone for me. From a very far distance, I could relate to where he was in life. I’m sad to see him pass. He was a good soul. RIP Bill.

[cumberlandreds]

Wow! I am really sorry to hear this. I didn't know he was battling cancer. Walton was a true Icon of basketball especially in the time I was growing up,1970's. He is still one of the best college basketball players I have ever seen. His performance against Memphis in the 1973 title game was impeccable. Nearly a perfect game by him on a team with a perfect record. I think he only lost a couple of games while at UCLA and they were two iconic games against Notre Dame and NC State his senior season. He went on to play for Portland in the NBA. The Portland team of 1977 is still my favorite pro team I have ever watched. That team was pure magic to watch in how they played the game. Total unselfishness and the players just blended as well as any I have ever seen. Walton was the leader and he was dominant in every phase of the game. He is also the best passing big man I have ever witnessed. Just a truly remarkable player. The 1978 Portland team started out like they were going to repeat and probably would have if Walton hadn't gone down with injury. Injuries then just compounded themselves with Walton and he was never the same after that. Just an awful shame because I really believe he would have gone down as a top five NBA player of all time if not for all of those injuries.
I liked him as an announcer even though he could be overbearing with his love of UCLA and Pac 8, 10,12 or whatever it was at the time. He could tell great stories and tell about life in general in a way that was very introspective. We have lost a great one in Walton. RIP Bill Walton. Thank you for all of the memories of great basketball you gave us all in the 1970's.

[mth123]

An all time great. RIP

[kaldaniels]

RIP

I went to espn.com expecting the red bordered breaking/big news banner about it but sadly it’s relegated to below the fold. Sign of the times.

[dubc47834]

RIP to an icon of the game, and an absolutely hilarious broadcaster. I'm gonna miss him calling games.

[M2]

When Walton played with the Celtics, he'd hold court nightly at the Border Cafe in Cambridge. The food there was mediocre at best, but there were lines out the door because Bill Walton made it the cool place to be. Sometimes he'd bring along his teammates. They ought to put a statue of him outside of the place.

[Ky Fried Redleg]

Wow. This one hit me. Walton was my age so I always followed him through college, the pros, and his post-playing career. was a huge UD fan through high school and beyond and UD’s 1974 triple OT loss to UCLA 111-100 was one of the craziest and thrilling games I’d ever watched. Walton played for UCLA who was the premier team for so long. And getting drafted by Portland and winning the NBA championship as a hippie was cool. That Portland team (with UD’s Johnny Davis) was the best *team* I’ve ever seen. Just gorgeous basketball. I always liked to hear what Walton had to say during his announcing career. Sometimes it was very insightful and sometimes I think he hit the bong a little hard.

But being the same age, he was always a touchstone for me. From a very far distance, I could relate to where he was in life. I’m sad to see him pass. He was a good soul. RIP Bill.



Yes he was. Bilas said the one word that summed him up was "authentic." I know he got on the nerves of some viewers but I loved him. He was so quirky, but so smart and so funny. Entertaining guy. Seemed like such a good , decent, fun-loving guy.

[Kingspoint]

Quite a pleasure to watch him for decades in so many venues.

He did a tremendous amount of charity work, passionately.

Maybe the final game of the Pac-12 (Sunday as Arizona beat USC 7-5 in the Pac-12 Tournament) as the Pac-12 went dark and two teams (Oregon State and Washington State) have to try to rebuild it again was just too much for him.

Part of the enjoyment of watching Pac-12 basketball during the regular season were his broadcasts. Normally, the last thing I want to do is listen to a broadcaster speak, but in his case I enjoyed it.

My favorite Walton television moments were his broadcasts with Steve Jones (former teammates w/ Portland). Jones was my all-time favorite broadcaster (passed away in 2017), and he and Walton's back-and-forths were hilarious. Jones the straight-man and called Walton out on his b.s. with a chuckle hear and there. No other broadcaster would do this to Bill, but Steve wouldn't let him get away with his non-sense. Because neither person would suck up to Paul Allen, they were let go like every other person who worked for the Trailblazers who didn't suck up to him.

Lot's of Walton memories.

The biggest impact Walton made on me to begin with was that security at the Memorial Coliseum was doubled after we drafted him. My group of friends and I used to be able to sneak into 20-25 games a season, but after we got Walton, it became really hard to do.

[dubc47834]

I was watching a special on him yesterday, I didn't realize he was such a big part of the civil rights movement. He a Kareem seemed to be huge friends. Just another piece of evidence toward his authenticity others have mentioned.

[Sea Ray]

This is one of my favorite Bill Walton stories:


John Wooden, the legendary coach of the UCLA Bruins had a rule for his team The rule was that no facial hair was allowed by any players on the team. Bill Walton was the star center on the Bruins team. The team had a ten day layoff and Bill Walton came to practice with a beard. Wooden asked Walton if he had forgotten something? Walton replied, " Coach, if you mean the beard, I think I should be allowed to wear it. It's my right." Wooden asked, "Do you believe that strongly? Walton replied, "Yes I do coach, very much." Wooden politely said, " Bill, I have great respect for individuals who stand up for those things in which they believe. I really do. And the team is going to miss you. " Walton immediately went to the locker room and shaved off his beard.

https://jimmccarter.com/blogs/kansas-songwriter/posts/2846860/bill-walton-no-facial-hair-rule

[Ky Fried Redleg]

Great segment from Eison about a day(which turned into a bit of an adventure) he spent with Walton . A really, really good story.


https://youtu.be/-VZCy1bLgCE

[Roy Tucker]

Great segment from Eison about a day(which turned into a bit of an adventure) he spent with Walton . A really, really good story.


https://youtu.be/-VZCy1bLgCE

Great clip. Funny and heartfelt. Thanks for posting.