Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton dies at 71 following prolonged battle with cancer

Legendary basketball player and broadcaster Bill Walton died Monday at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer, the NBA announced.

Oh man. RIP Bill Walton. Throw it down in heaven, big man. https://t.co/AM1Iz3wdJy

— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) May 27, 2024

Walton was a two-time NBA champion as a player and won the MVP in his fourth season playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. He also won Defensive Player of the Year twice. He was known for his passion and love for the game, along with his unique character.

“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind. … What I will remember most about him was his zest for life,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He was a regular presence at league events – always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth.”

Walton also won two NCAA championships playing for legendary head coach John Wooden at UCLA. He was the consensus Player of the Year in all three collegiate seasons he played.

Bill Walton was truly a national treasure pic.twitter.com/oHJMaSRDTk

— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) May 27, 2024

He later became a beloved broadcaster, covering countless Pac-12 games for ESPN and the Pac-12 Network, oftentimes alongside Dave Pasch.

Bill Walton won't give Dave Pasch an answer on if he was in the mix to play Chewbacca in Star Wars.

Bill finally says that he "auditioned" to play Chewbacca, but they modeled the character after him.

This is an amazing interaction.🏀🎬🤣 pic.twitter.com/uk4rORSf1D

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 2, 2024

Pasch joined ESPN’s Sportscenter shortly after Walton’s death was announced and shared somber feelings.

“Sadly, knew about this for a while but still devastated. Bill and I had a special friendship and when you work closely with someone like we did for 12 years and even on the NBA my first year, although he still claims that never happened … He used to take the headset off during a commercial break and just say to me ‘I love you, but don’t tell anybody.’ He just enjoyed the fact that I was his sparring partner and that he could have fun with me and just take shots at me, and I knew that it was all part of the game.

“Off the air, we had a great friendship, Bill paid for every meal. And I remember the last game I had with Bill was February 1 at USC, and it was rare that it was just the two of us … We were kinda talking a lot about the future, and it was just a conversation I’ll never forget.”

Dave Pasch and Bill Walton are the real life Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute. pic.twitter.com/1mFIQA8HGZ

— David Blattman (@davidblattman) March 3, 2023

Dave Pasch: "Is he aware that you played for the Boston Celtics?"

Bill Walton: "I have no idea. Did I?"

Pasch: "You did win Sixth Man of the Year."

Walton: "Which means I was Larry Bird's valet. Which means my job was to tell Larry what time the game started." 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/RwHY9iCTaM

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 14, 2022

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg sent love to Walton’s family in a tweet.

“Absolutely crushed to hear of the passing of the legendary Bill Walton, whose intellect, sense of humor and zest for life were even bigger than he was. He was also, when healthy, every bit as good a big man as there ever was, with a game that was decades ahead of his time – he’d have been perfect in today’s NBA.”

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas called Walton “perhaps the finest passing center of his generation.” When asked what one word he would use to describe Walton, Bilas said “authentic.”

"Devan Cambridge, the younger of the two. You say he's only a month younger? Are they like twins or something?"- Bill Walton

"No, if they were twins they'd be born on the same day."- Dave Pasch

"Well maybe it just took a little longer than you would think."- Bill Walton pic.twitter.com/eGrJOpg0aN

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 10, 2023

Bill Walton was definitely one of a kind. Rest in peace pic.twitter.com/LN7eyMYzba

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 27, 2024

Bill Walton laughed at himself; cared deeply about people history ignored; and was one of the greatest athletes to ever walk the Earth. A planet he both adored and transcended. RIP 💔 pic.twitter.com/9rCWruhGUs

— ‘Miserable’ Pablo Torre 🕳️ (@PabloTorre) May 27, 2024

Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, whose playmaking style as a big man was pioneered in part by Walton, weighed in too.

R.I.P LEGEND 🙏🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/azO0uVuulE

— Jusuf Nurkić 🇧🇦 (@bosnianbeast27) May 27, 2024

Former Arizona coach Sean Miller, who had his fair share of games called by Walton, had this to add.

Bill Walton was the most positive, enthusiastic, unique and funny person I have met.

In the 12 years I was at Arizona, I had the great fortune to be around Bill and interact with him as a colleague, mentor and friend.

He introduced himself to me at every gameday shoot around… pic.twitter.com/bt4wth7m0V

— Sean Miller (@CoachMillerXU) May 27, 2024

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who also won multiple NCAA championships at UCLA under Wooden, said “goodbye to a great friend.”

Today I had to say goodbye to
a great friend that I will always miss….@UCLAAthletics @UCLAMBB @NBA pic.twitter.com/JIA3sORJgY

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) May 27, 2024

NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who won a championship with Walton on the 1986 Boston Celtics, called him “one of the greatest to ever to play the game.”

Larry Bird has issued a statement about the passing of his teammate on the 1986 champion Celtics, and longtime friend, Bill Walton: pic.twitter.com/xF2T7zs9Cj

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 27, 2024

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