RIP Bill Walton

[desert heat]

I’m too young so I don’t remember him playing. But I loved seeing him on tv when the nba was on

Check some of his ucla games out on YouTube, he was impressive.

 

[TheGoodMan19]

Recently watched a couple of those games on YouTube, and I'd say he was as good as any college center ever, even Jabbar.

The NC State team was awesome, was playing on their home turf, and got a lot of calls to get them over the hump. That might have been the best UCLA team wooden ever had.

UCLA had beaten NC State early by a ton. But the Bruins didn't have a player to match up with David Thompson. The only player in recent history that can compare with Walton was Christian Laettner and I think the more physical Walton would have had the better time. Olajuwon and Ewing maybe, but neither could really put a team on their backs and carry them like Walton. Different era too, no three, no shot clock and the UCLA players were bought and paid for by booster Sam Gilbert. Had the NCAA looked at UCLA, all those banners would have came down

 

[jontaejones]

RIP. He really kept his battle with cancer hidden. I'm a big NCAAB fan, and I had never heard.

I think it's so interesting that some people keep it private and some people just shout it from the rooftops. Dick Vitale's battle with cancer was extremely public and he's way older.

Same way in real life.

RIP.

 

[jvett77]

Walton, 71, died Monday following a prolonged battle with cancer. He had a super career. The Hall of Fame center won two national titles at UCLA, two NBA championships in Portland and Boston and later put the “color” in color commentator.

He left Portland to play for the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers from 1979 to 1985 but never reached the heights of those earlier seasons and struggled through foot and knee injuries. He then joined the Boston Celtics, where he rejuvenated his career and in 1986 won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award as a reliable backup to stars Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. Together, the group won the NBA title in 1986 over the Houston Rockets, the second of Walton’s career.

 

[Carnzo]

The Celtics would like to thank LA for Walton and Maxwell, forever grateful.
Those were great years to be a Celts fan.
RIP with much respect.

 

[desert heat]

UCLA had beaten NC State early by a ton. But the Bruins didn't have a player to match up with David Thompson. The only player in recent history that can compare with Walton was Christian Laettner and I think the more physical Walton would have had the better time. Olajuwon and Ewing maybe, but neither could really put a team on their backs and carry them like Walton. Different era too, no three, no shot clock and the UCLA players were bought and paid for by booster Sam Gilbert. Had the NCAA looked at UCLA, all those banners would have came down

david meyers would have matched up well with david thompson. wooden regretted not assigning him the task of guarding thompson. they even had a young marques johnson on the team that might have matched up. UCLA had future pros up and down the lineup. wilkes, washington, meyers, johnson, walton, to name a few.

ewing, olajuwon were comparable, although more raw, walton's skills were honed, and he could do it all, defense, passing, offense, went 21-22 shooting in one championship game.

 

[desert heat]

The Celtics would like to thank LA for Walton and Maxwell, forever grateful.
Those were great years to be a Celts fan.
RIP with much respect.

LA would like to thank the Celtics for Bill Sharman and KC Jones.

 

[TheGoodMan19]

david meyers would have matched up well with david thompson. wooden regretted not assigning him the task of guarding thompson. they even had a young marques johnson on the team that might have matched up. UCLA had future pros up and down the lineup. wilkes, washington, meyers, johnson, walton, to name a few.

ewing, olajuwon were comparable, although more raw, walton's skills were honed, and he could do it all, defense, passing, offense, went 21-22 shooting in one championship game.

And NC State had Tom Burleson, who was taller and had a bigger wingspan than Walton. Burleson had 20 pts, 14 rbs and 2 bks (Walton has 29 pts, 18 rbs 0 bks).

 

[redskinsfan1963]

I loved seeing him play even though he was on the Celtics. Always a classy person. My parents parents met him once and my mom told me how nice and personable he was. Sorry he lost the battle with cancer

first time I remember seeing him play was in the early 70s when nd broke UCLA,s win streak.rip

 

[redskinsfan1963]

And NC State had Tom Burleson, who was taller and had a bigger wingspan than Walton. Burleson had 20 pts, 14 rbs and 2 bks (Walton has 29 pts, 18 rbs 0 bks).

I meet Burleson when NC state came to my county for a game of all former state players to play a charity game.they had a pre game camp for kids.nice guy.

 

[desert heat]

And NC State had Tom Burleson, who was taller and had a bigger wingspan than Walton. Burleson had 20 pts, 14 rbs and 2 bks (Walton has 29 pts, 18 rbs 0 bks).

NC State had a great line up too, otherwise they wouldn't have been in the game, but UCLA had multiple future NBA All-Stars on the roster.

I think if the game had been played somewhere else besides North Carolina, the outcome would have been different. UCLA had also won seven straight titles. As great as that is, the odds were they were going to get beat sooner or later.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Some cool tidbits from BW's wiki…


While Walton was in high school in 1967, the NBA expansion San Diego Rockets came to town. The Rockets had no set practice facility and would often play pick-up games at Helix High School. Rocket players learned that to get into the Helix gym they could call the teenage Walton, who had his own gym key. Walton recalled Elvin Hayes calling and telling his mother, "Tell Billy, Big E is calling and we need him to open the gym tonight. I said, 'Mom, that's Big E! Give me the phone!' I was never so embarrassed in my life. Elvin and I are still close friends. All of those guys all [sic] still my friends to this very day."[11]

"We had the best gym in San Diego and all the Rockets players wanted to go there", Walton reflected. "They had some great teams with Elvin Hayes and Calvin Murphy and future head coaches and broadcasters such as Pat Riley, Rick Adelman, Rudy Tomjanovich, Jim Barnett, and Stu Lantz. All these guys treated me—little Billy—like I was part of the team. They couldn't have been nicer, and I became their friend."[11]


Beginning in elementary and high school, Walton had loyally followed UCLA's basketball team on the radio. He was recruited by many colleges, but quickly accepted UCLA's scholarship offer to play basketball for the Bruins and Coach Wooden. Wooden became a lifetime mentor to Walton.[19]


Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum, then an assistant coach at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) under John Wooden, was sent to watch Walton play. Crum first saw Walton in 1968 as a high school junior and was at first dubious when hearing of Walton, but went to scout him anyway. "I came back and told Coach Wooden that this Walton kid was the best high school player I'd ever seen", Crum recalled.[18]

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Stephen A. mourns Bill.

"I lost a friend today"

 

[realityball]

RIP Bill … added a lot to the game despite being held back from the history books because of those damn knee injuries … another player that we’ll never really know how good he coulda been …
He helped lighten up the legendary 86 Celts … not ‘Grateful’ he’s dead

 

[Manster7588]

RIP Bill, you are one of the greats

 

[Manster7588]

This is a tough day for me, Bill and a then a long time friend past away too.

 

[Janus]

Walton and his affection for the DEAD were at the forefront of today's players proclaiming and bringing light to personal voyages through professional pulpits, He was outstanding and outspoken, will be missed but remembered

 

[DJ Fieri]

RIP. He was one of my favorite announcers, very colorful and entertaining to listen to. Great player as well.

I agree...

Said this in the NBA reg season thread: He made it fun.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Bill Walton's Long, Strange Trip With the Grateful Dead

The NBA center devoted much of his life to the Grateful Dead

www.rollingstone.com

Bill Walton's love of the Grateful Dead, explained: How basketball legend became 'Celebrity Deadhead No. 1' | Sporting News

Everyone has a favorite band, but not everyone loves their favorite band as much as Bill Walton loved the Grateful Dead.

www.sportingnews.com

 

[trojanfan12]

Sorry to hear about his passing. All time great player and all time character/personality.

He and John Wooden couldn't have been more different but Walton loved and respected him like no other.

Walton was a hippy and Wooden as "buttoned up" as it gets.

Wooden told him one day that he needed to get a haircut. Walton told him "No".

Wooden didn't yell or get mad like a lot of coaches would. He just said "Well, we're gonna miss you".

Walton jumped on his bike, went to the barber shop and got a haircut. lol