Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton died Monday at age 71. The two-time NBA champion passed away after a long battle with cancer and was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing.
Walton is survived by his wife, Lori, and four sons.
Walton was born in La Mesa, California in 1952.
Walton was a proven winner.
He won high school basketball championships in 1969 and 1970.
He then attended UCLA, where he led the Bruins to a 30-0 season and was a key contributor to the school’s 88 consecutive wins, winning two NCAA championships under legendary coach John Wooden in 1972 and 1973. During his time at UCLA, he was named UCLA Player of the Year three times.
Walton was selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1974 NBA Draft.
He led the Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship and was named Finals MVP.
The skilled 6-foot-11 big man was named the NBA’s MVP for the 1977-78 season.
Walton was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year during the 1985-86 season with the Boston Celtics, the same year he won his second NBA championship with the Celtics.
He was a two-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-NBA Performer and two-time NBA All-Defensive Player of the Year. Walton’s prime was plagued by foot injuries.
Bill “Big Red” Walton is a member of both the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary teams.
Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
All four of Walton’s sons, Adam, Nathan, Luke and Chris, played college basketball, and Luke Walton won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, making the Waltons the first father-son duo to win at least two NBA titles each.
After a stellar NBA career, Walton became a commentator for the NBA and college basketball, despite struggling with a stutter until his late 20s. He was a popular TV basketball analyst for CBS, NBC and ESPN.
Walton was also known for his love of music, particularly the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and was known as “Grateful Red” because he attended hundreds of Grateful Dead concerts.
“Truly one of a kind”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stress He said Walton is “truly one of a kind” and someone who has “redefined the center position.”
“Bill went on to bring his passion and love of the game to his broadcasts, entertaining generations of basketball fans with his insightful and colorful commentary,” Silver said in a statement.
Silver continued, “But what I remember most about him was his passion for life. He was a regular attendee at League events, always cheerful, with a big smile and eager to share his wisdom and warmth. I cherished our close friendship, envied his boundless energy and respected the time he spent with everyone he met.”
“A treasured member of the NBA family for 50 years, Bill will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. My heartfelt condolences go to Bill’s wife Lori, sons Adam, Nate, Luke and Chris, and his many friends and colleagues,” Silver concluded in his tribute to Walton.
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