Bill Walton, a Hall of Fame center who authored a career that was triumphant and tragic, as well as colorful and controversial, died Monday at the age of 71.
Basketball Hall of Fame legend Bill Walton, left, jokes with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022. Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, died Monday, May 27, 2024, the league announced on behalf of his family. He was 71.
When Walton flew into Portland, Oregon, in October 2009, he was surprised to find tears streaming down his cheeks. Ironically, Walton was in Portland to be feted. Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski was honoring him with the Governor’s Gold award, given annually to four people or organizations who have made great contributions to the state. And the Trail Blazers had invited him to headline a fundraising event. But as the governor and the franchise prepared to celebrate one of its greatest athletes, Walton was revealing the complexity behind his legacy.
“My legs were pretty much shot by the time I got to the NBA in 1974,” Walton wrote. “I peaked when I was 12.” “I never had a better time playing,” Walton wrote in his biography. “Aside from winning, my favorite moments on the court came when I was out there with Larry Bird. It’s safe to say our styles were complementary.”
In the turbulent 1970s, with the Vietnam War raging and Watergate eroding the confidence in the United States government, Walton became more than just a basketball player. He became a voice in the counter-culture movement. “The Portland Trail Blazers deplore Bill Walton’s statement calling for the rejection of the United States Government. The United States is the freest and most democratic nation in the world. We and the people throughout the world recognize this,” the Blazers said in their statement. “The American system, despite its imperfections, has been and continues to be the have which oppressed people throughout the world yearn to reach.
“Sports encompasses all aspects of life,” Walton told Hal Bock of the Associated Press in 1991. “It’s unfortunate when people use the argument that it is not a platform for politics … I believe you can’t stop and put sports in a vacuum. Just because people are involved in a special thing like sports, that doesn’t prevent them from taking a position.”
In 1990, Prime Ticket Network hired Walton as an analyst. Soon, he was everywhere. He had stints with NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, Turner Sports and most recently was providing color commentary for ESPN broadcasts of Pac-12 basketball. In 2001, he received an Emmy for best live sports television broadcast. No matter the network, or the stage, Walton was always spouting outrageous, off-the-wall commentary.“Yesterday, we celebrated Sir Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity.
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Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player who became a star broadcaster, dies at 71Bill Walton, who starred for John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, has died.
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Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player who became a star broadcaster, dies at 71Bill Walton, who starred for John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, has died
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Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player who became a star broadcaster, dies at 71Bill Walton, who starred for John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, has died.
Read more »
Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player who became a star broadcaster, dies at 71Bill Walton, who starred for John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, has died.
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Bill Walton, Hall of Fame basketball player who became a star broadcaster, dies at 71Bill Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars in basketball broadcasting, died Monday, the
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Bill Walton, UCLA great, NBA Hall of Famer, broadcasting star, dies at age 71At UCLA, Walton was a three-time National Player of the Year. In the NBA, he won the MVP in the 1977-78 season, and was a two-time champion.
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