RIP Bill Walton

[IndyLives]

Complete dominance at UCLA and the 1977 & 78 NBA seasons until the tragic foot injuries that took away his prime years. It was great to see his "comeback" for the 1986 C's. He overcame chronic stuttering to be a Top 50 sports announcer - which exemplified his passion for basketball and the fans. If you get a chance to see the NESN documentary of the 1986 Celtics, lots of great Bill Walton commentary and stories! RIP Big Man.

 

[HCCForever]

I'm old enough to remember Walton's great skill at UCLA and watched that terrific performance against Memphis State and also the loss to David Thompson and NC State in 1974.

They spoke about him on PTI today and MIke mentioned that he often had to lay down during broadcasts due to the pain in his ankles and back. Tough guy.

I also witnessed first hand his love of music. I was in the pit for Springsteen at Fenway in September of 2003. Bill was there as well and not hard to miss. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to speak to him. I enjoyed his multiple part series on ESPN a short time ago especially when he talked about the 86 Celtics at a Dead concert. RIP Bill.

 

[Viet Vet]

One of the greatest college centers ever. Right up there with Russell, Wilt, Alcindor (name in college), Hakeem and The Admiral.

As a broadcaster? Not my cup of tea. He never shut up.

 

[auror]

Complete dominance at UCLA and the 1977 & 78 NBA seasons until the tragic foot injuries that took away his prime years. It was great to see his "comeback" for the 1986 C's. He overcame chronic stuttering to be a Top 50 sports announcer - which exemplified his passion for basketball and the fans. If you get a chance to see the NESN documentary of the 1986 Celtics, lots of great Bill Walton commentary and stories! RIP Big Man.

I would love to see a well done Walton documentary.

 

[Chin Diesel]

A lot of people on this forum have said they'd mute the TV when he was on. I always enjoyed his ramblings. "Have you ever been to a volcano?"

Of course he's not in the HOF for his color commentary. A top-10 if not top-5 college player and then an NBA MVP. And his injuries robbed him of what would have been an even greater NBA career.

For college basketball only it's a two man conversation. It's Bill or Alcinder. And then everyone else.

 

[Viet Vet]

For college basketball only it's a two man conversation. It's Bill or Alcinder. And then everyone else.

Alcindor.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I didn’t get to see his college career or early nba days, but did catch his swan song on the Celtics and you could feel the joy and see the latent talent. Loved him as an announcer too as he brought that same infectious joy.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Jaker]

too young, RIP

 

[Matrim55]

I think it's telling that Kareem, Dr. J and most of the rest of Waton's contemporaries posted post-playing career pics with the guy. Dude wasn't just a ball player -- he was their friend and comrade.

What a life he led.

 

[Improviser]

I didn’t get to see his college career or early nba days, but did catch his swan song on the Celtics and you could feel the joy and see the latent talent. Loved him as an announcer too as he brought that same infectious joy.

His somewhat limited minutes with the Celtics were snapshots of his days as a starter for Portland, in the years he was relatively healthy.

Shot blocker and silky offensive moves near the basket. When I visited San Diego during his and Jabbar's playing days, billboards featured the two and the dates of their upcoming games against each other.

I followed those head to heads, and more often than not, Walton slightly outperformed Jabbar. No mean feat!

 

[LandOtter]

Back in 2001, the New Haven Register awarded me “Best Lookalike” for high school basketball, claiming I was a spitting image of a young Bill Walton. The mop-top and sideburns are long gone, but still honored to be compared to the late great.

 

[upstater]

In the USA you can't even get a freakin' moment of silence as requested by the announcer without an ad popping over your face on the day of your death.

Some goofy jazz music starts playing as the announcer says, let's have a moment of silence for Walton, and they immediately start hawking the Google Pixel over a montage of Walton's career accomplishments.

I know it was some preplanned ad but you really don't have control of your telecast in order to block things out for heaven's sake?

 

[upstater]

Both Bill Walton and Dave Cowens had a shuffling way of walking so when you saw these tall gangling guys walking in the streets of Boston, they looked like the invading alien machines from War of the Worlds. Or you could say they walked like puppets, or marionettes, like someone was yanking their legs forward and their arms up in slow motion.

Anyway, that was my impression of seeing Walton walking down the street

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

“This is not stealing. I found this before somebody else lost this.”

 

[TXHuskyFan]

This was in Maui. My biggest regret is that I did not in the photo with him. I’m short so it would have been ridiculous. Also saw him walking down the street in San Antonio in 2004. He could barely walk back then.

 

[MemphisBlues]

I’ll never forget watching the 1973 NCAA final vs Memphis State . 44 pts on 21 of 22 . . Totally unstoppable.

He was actually 24 of 25 under today's rules. Dunks were not allowed in 1973.

 

[superjohn]

He certainly lived his 71 years, his joy for life was infectious. He's going to be missed.

 

[EnochRoot]

Rest in peace to a legend.

May the four winds blow you safely home

 

[JeffConn]

I’ll never forget watching the 1973 NCAA final vs Memphis State . 44 pts on 21 of 22 . . Totally unstoppable.

As many point out, Walton was unique talent among his playing and announcing peers.

My favorite Bill Walton memories:
1) His first aired TV game on the East Coast playing as a sophomore for UCLA (freshmen couldn't play varsity back then) after the Alcindor dynasty years. The announcers described him as a good defensive player, but with a limited offensive game. It seemed then and there, from the start of that game, he was unstoppable offensively, putting bank shots in at will around the glass;
2) His early pro years doing Bill Walton things leading the Portland Trailblazers to a NBA championship;
3) While announcing a PAC10 game when his son Luke was playing at Arizona, Bill's opining that UA was a national contender having only lost that season to top national programs "like UConn";
4) At last season's Phil Knight Invitational Tournament (PKI) in Oregon, while Walton was providing TV commentary at a UConn game, his announcer colleague asked Bill if our freshman back-up center Donovan Clingan, who was playing very well and went on, I believe, to make the all-tournament team, was a modern day version of Bill Walton. Walton said he had the opportunity to personally meet Donovan the day before and he went on to say "He is just being (himself) Donovan Clingan"; and
5) Also during a UConn game at the PKI, while providing commentary, Bill Walton boldly announced "Alex Karaban" each time after Alex made a nice play, and from that point forward, our new freshmen players were becoming nationally known stars playing with gravitas to win the tournament.

I will miss Bill Walton.

 

[Lynyrd]

 

[HooperScooper]

Many complained about his rambling college basketball announcing but he always made me laugh. He was definitely out there.

I can't find online the funniest moment, to me at least, he had on air. It was probably 5-6 years ago and he was doing an Oregon game with either Dave Pasch or Jason Benetti where there was a player who was coming back from a broken shoulder. In the middle of the game they're talking about the player and how hard it must be to come back from a broken shoulder. Walton says to his announcing partner, with his dry sense of humor, "You ever have a broken shoulder?" Pasch or Benetti say, "No, never have." Walton comes back with, "Do you want one?" Classic Walton.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I know he wasnt a lot of peoples cup of tea as an announcer but i enjoyed listening to his quirky and odd musings during games. Too young to have seen him play but respect the greatness. RIP Mr. Walton

 

[August_West]

As if anyone needs any other reasons to love Bill Walton. The perfect person. Didn’t like Syracuse. lol.