Bill Walton, NBA Hall of Famer and free spirit, dead at 71
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[May 28, 2024]
By Daniel Trotta
(Reuters) -Bill Walton, a two-time NBA champion and member of the
basketball Hall of Fame, whose brilliant but injury-riddled career
led to a second act as a free-spirited broadcaster who waxed
philosophical on the air, died on Monday at the age of 71, the
National Basketball Association announced.
Walton, who had a prolonged battle with cancer, was surrounded by
his family when he died, the National Basketball Association said.
"Bill Walton was truly one of a kind," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
said in a statement that recalled his many accomplishments on the
court and his "insightful and colorful commentary" as a broadcaster.
"But what I will remember most about him was his zest for life."
Walton, a 6-foot-11 (211-cm) center who moved gracefully despite his
height, rose to stardom in college where he was part of the
University of California, Los Angeles, dynasty under Coach John
Wooden, winning National Collegiate Athletic Association
championships in 1972 and 1973.
The first overall pick of the 1974 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail
Blazers, Walton established himself as a force early in his
professional career, leading Portland to the championship in the
1976-77 season, and he was named Most Valuable Player the following
year.
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But with brittle bones in his feet, Walton missed three of the next
four seasons, mostly as a member of the San Diego Clippers, and
later came back as a bench player for the Boston Celtics, helping
them win the NBA championship in 1985-86.
In the years following his NBA career, Walton turned to sports
broadcasting and was involved with multiple charitable and
philanthropic organizations, clinics and camps. He served as both a
studio analyst and a color commentator.
'TREMENDOUS IMPACT'
Multiple injuries, including from a bicycle accident, continued to
afflict him after his playing days, interrupting his career as a
whimsical broadcaster who could intersperse criticism of the
officiating of a game with riffs on human consciousness.
He was also known as an avid fan of the Grateful Dead, going on the
road with the psychedelic band, often wearing a tie-dye T-shirt
common with the group's fan base.
Walton suffered from myriad injuries throughout his life, requiring
38 orthopedic surgeries, according to an interview with the Advanced
Medical Technology Association.
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![](../images/052824PIX/sports93.jpg)
Fomer NBA star Bill Walton (L) talks with Los Angeles Lakers team
owner Jerry Buss after the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in
Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals basketball series in Los Angeles,
California June 17, 2010. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
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In his 2016 autobiography "Back from the Dead,"
Walton begins in the summer of 2009 when he was in so much pain from
his injuries that he was forced to live on the floor of his San
Diego home for most of the previous 2-1/2 years. He wrote, "If I had
a gun, I would use it."
But with time, as well as inspiration from thinkers as diverse as
Coach Wooden, George Bernard Shaw and the Grateful Dead, he was able
to convalesce from spine surgery and resume broadcasting, Walton
wrote.
While at UCLA, Walton broke multiple school records and stands atop
the school's career rebounding list while also ranking among the top
10 leaders in program history in multiple statistical categories.
"It's very hard to put into words what he has meant to UCLA's
program, as well as his tremendous impact on college basketball,"
UCLA's men's head basketball coach Mick Cronin said in a statement.
"Beyond his remarkable accomplishments as a player, it's his
relentless energy, enthusiasm for the game and unwavering candor
that have been the hallmarks of his larger than life personality."
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Additional reporting by Frank Pingue;
Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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