Featured Columnist IVMay 27, 2024
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NBA legend and Hall of Famer Bill Walton died Monday at 71 years old.
The NBA announced his death and noted he was “surrounded by family” after “a prolonged battle with cancer.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement that said, in part, “Bill Walton was truly one of a kind … What I will remember most about him was his zest for life. He was a regular presence at league events—always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth. I treasured our close friendship, envied his boundless energy and admired the time he took with every person he encountered.”
Before he was a champion at the NBA level, Walton was one of the best men’s college basketball players in the sport’s history.
He attended powerhouse UCLA and played three seasons from 1971 to 1974 while building a resume that included two national championships, three Naismith Awards, two Associated Press Player of the Year awards and three consensus All-American selections.
UCLA Men’s Basketball @UCLAMBB
UCLA mourns the passing of two-time NCAA champion Bill Walton, a Naismith Hall of Fame inductee (1993) and charter member of the @UCLAAthletics Hall of Fame (1984).
𝑰𝑵 𝑴𝑬𝑴𝑶𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑴: https://t.co/VwZwd9uVDs pic.twitter.com/6GrCWvplK7
Walton was a transcendent collegiate star, and the Portland Trail Blazers jumped at the chance to select him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 1974 NBA draft.
It is hard to script a better start to a career than the one Walton enjoyed, as he led the Trail Blazers to their only championship in franchise history in just his third season. As if that wasn’t enough, he was the league MVP in his fourth year after finishing second in voti
