OT Bill Walton dead at 71 RIP

[scubastevefl]

Bill Walton played against ND in the epic 1974 game where ND ended UCLA’s 88 game wining streak.

Walton was spotted walking into the Joyce Center humming the ND fight song later stating “it was a catchy toon”.

Walton won a two titles at UCLA and two NBA Championships in his career and was a fantastic broadcaster.

Walton also hated The Michigan Fab Five, ok in my book.

 

[sjb75]

Bill Walton played against ND in the epic 1974 game where ND ended UCLA’s 88 game wining streak.

Walton was spotted walking into the Joyce Center humming the ND fight song later stating “it was a catchy toon”.

Walton won a two titles at UCLA and two NBA Championships in his career and a fantastic broadcaster.

Walton also hated The Michigan Fab Five, ok in my book.

My dad always said that Bill Walton was the greatest and best CBB post player he ever saw.

 

[burmafrd1943]

He was a great College Center and almost as good in the Pros

and he certainly was not someone that followed the common path either in his life
RIP big red

 

[sjb75]

Bill Walton passing away and the demise of the PAC 12 is quite a coincidence.

Bill was a proud so. California native, grew up in San Diego, and if you ever listened to him announce Men's CBB, Bill adored the entire PAC 12.

RIP.

 

[melstew]

He was a force for good. So positive--and as SJB says, he loved loved loved the "Conference of Champions." RIP BW.

 

[sjb75]

He was a force for good. So positive--and as SJB says, he loved loved loved the "Conference of Champions." RIP BW.

100.

 

[Irishjohn68]

Scarlet Begonias RIP

 

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

In my lifetime Walton and Abdul-Jabbar were the most talented CBB centers I ever watched. (Though I saw Russell and Chamberlain play professionally, I didn't see them play college ball.)

Walton was just so incredibly versatile and polished. There was nothing he didn't do well. It is a shame that his many injuries derailed a fabulous professional career. Yet I suppose he would say, he lived a life in full.

As an announcer, I always enjoyed his enthusiasm for the game, and for life in general. He always seemed to be the living embodiment of the phrase joie de vivre. RIP, Bill.

 

[IrishMike409]

I met Walton, randomly in a hospital in Chicago. This was probably 2011. He was there working with a surgeon group, or for a vendor, promoting technology used in minimally invasive back surgeries. He said that the procedure saved his life.....healed him physically and got him out of a difficult depressed/mental state.

I approached him and started talking hoops (I was a huge fan of the 80s Celtics Teams). He couldn't have been cooler. We talked for 10-15 minutes about hoops and life, just me and him. He was awesome. I'll never forget it.

I took a picture with him. I'm 6'4, and in the pic, he absolutely dwarfs me. He was obviously a massive guy. It was a great pic, huge smiles on both of our faces. That pic stayed on an iPhone that I since lost or replaced. I can't find it in the cloud or anywhere. Wish that I still had it.

 

[Pennick4]

Walton loved his time with the Celtics. He was great coming off the bench then as he was dealing with a myriad of injuries. He loved playing with Bird.
He was a spokesman for the solar company I was working with years ago. We were installing a system on his house and he would walk out every afternoon bare ass to swim and do laps in his pool. He was definitely a free spirit.

 

[Patrirish]

In my lifetime Walton and Abdul-Jabbar were the most talented CBB centers I ever watched. (Though I saw Russell and Chamberlain play professionally, I didn't see them play college ball.)

Walton was just so incredibly versatile and polished. There was nothing he didn't do well. It is a shame that his many injuries derailed a fabulous professional career. Yet I suppose he would say, he lived a life in full.

As an announcer, I always enjoyed his enthusiasm for the game, and for life in general. He always seemed to be the living embodiment of the phrase joie de vivre. RIP, Bill.

We were lucky in that we were able to see Russell and Chamberlain play.

What most people don’t know about Russell is that he had a very high basketball IQ
Russell didn’t just block shots. He directed the blocked shot to a teammate.
Today it seems popular to block a shot by sending it into the third row of the upper deck rather than to a teammate.

But here’s a trivia question for you

What players played on teams that won the NCAA championship, the NBA championship, and the Olympic gold medal ?

 

[FightingIrish44]

We were lucky in that we were able to see Russell and Chamberlain play.

What most people don’t know about Russell is that he had a very high basketball IQ
Russell didn’t just block shots. He directed the blocked shot to a teammate.
Today it seems popular to block a shot by sending it into the third row of the upper deck rather than to a teammate.

But here’s a trivia question for you

What players played on teams that won the NCAA championship, the NBA championship, and the Olympic gold medal ?

Michael Jordan and did Magic beat Bird in the 1979 championship? Magic and Jordan.

 

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

Michael Jordan and did Magic beat Bird in the 1979 championship? Magic and Jordan.

Aside from Magic and Jordan, I can name Bill Russell and KC Jones (Univ of San Francisco, 1956 Olympics and multiple NBA titles with the Celtics), Quinn Buckner (IU, 1976 Olympics, Boston Celtics), and Anthony Davis (UK, 2012 Olympics and LA Lakers). I believe there are probably a few others.

 

[Patrirish]

Michael Jordan and did Magic beat Bird in the 1979 championship? Magic and Jordan.

In the NBA, I don’t think that Jorden ever beat Bird in championships, at least that’s what Isaiah Thomas said

 

[Patrirish]

Aside from Magic and Jordan, I can name Bill Russell and KC Jones (Univ of San Francisco, 1956 Olympics and multiple NBA titles with the Celtics), Quinn Buckner (IU, 1976 Olympics, Boston Celtics), and Anthony Davis (UK, 2012 Olympics and LA Lakers). I believe there are probably a few others.

It’s a good trivia question