R.I.P. Bill Walton

"In life, being so self-conscious, red hair, big nose, freckles and goofy, nerdy-looking face and can't talk at all. I was incredibly shy and never said a word," Walton told The Oregonian in 2017. "Then, when I was 28, I learned how to speak. It's become my greatest accomplishment of my life and everybody else's biggest nightmare."

I know some on here will agree with that sentiment but I always enjoyed listening to his tangents.

RIP big fella.

The best thing to watch, especially in the more recent years, was how Dave Pasch and Jason Benetti (when he was still working with ESPN) basically had to play the straight man to Walton's antics.

Damn!! I watched him many times as a player, both with UCLA and the Trailblazers. He loved life that's for sure.

GoDucks349 said:

Damn!! I watched him many times as a player, both with UCLA and the Trailblazers. He loved life that's for sure.

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and weed

IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:

The best thing to watch, especially in the more recent years, was how Dave Pasch and Jason Benetti (when he was still working with ESPN) basically had to play the straight man to Walton's antics.

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You could see Pasch counting the angry emails in his mind when Walton said, "Liberty University? Talk about a misnomer."

I love Walton, Vitale, Gus Johnson, anybody who is just unapologetically themselves and just doesn’t give a f.

Bill Walton played in an era that we will never see the likes of again. He played on a College superteam that won titles every year and dominated the sport in a way that won’t happen again in our NIL/Portal era with talent spread out more evenly and players leaving early if they wish for pro careers.

He starred during the West Coast Dynasty that lasted a generation where they never lost to anyone – or on the very rare occasion that they came up short this would immediately become big shocking Worldwide news.

He had a solid pro career as much as his physical ailments allowed him to perform.

He was a free spirit that danced to his own tune and with his own political views which are personality traits now much frowned upon in our current Groupthink World of conformity to approved and much-hyped agendas.

He looked and sounded like a guy that would come from Southern California... which of course he did.

His NCAA title game in 1973 was one for the ages. In front of the lucky fans in St. Louis that night Walton was 21 of 22 from the field on his way to scoring 44 and a victory for UCLA over Memphis State. Most everyone who saw that game in person or on TV will never forget it.

This UCLA Dynasty and the Walton years were amazing times. But personally I am glad that they are over. I much prefer today when 40 different programs every year have a legit chance to win it all with the Portal and NIL. Dynasties are great but only if you are the dynasty. For everyone else they are an exercise in futility and frustration.

What DO we need today? More people like Bill Walton who lived with the courage and confidence to be himself without regard for how others wanted him to be.

Vaya Con Dios... Surfer dude roundballer. May you hit all your shots now in Heaven.

Roundball Sage said:

Bill Walton played in an era that we will never see the likes of again. He played on a College superteam that won titles every year and dominated the sport in a way that won’t happen again in our NIL/Portal era with talent spread out more evenly and players leaving early if they wish for pro careers.

He starred during the West Coast Dynasty that lasted a generation where they never lost to anyone – or on the very rare occasion that they came up short this would immediately become big shocking Worldwide news.

He had a solid pro career as much as his physical ailments allowed him to perform.

He was a free spirit that danced to his own tune and with his own political views which are personality traits now much frowned upon in our current Groupthink World of conformity to approved and much-hyped agendas.

He looked and sounded like a guy that would come from Southern California... which of course he did.

His NCAA title game in 1973 was one for the ages. In front of the lucky fans in St. Louis that night Walton was 21 of 22 from the field on his way to scoring 44 and a victory for UCLA over Memphis State. Most everyone who saw that game in person or on TV will never forget it.

This UCLA Dynasty and the Walton years were amazing times. But personally I am glad that they are over. I much prefer today when 40 different programs every year have a legit chance to win it all with the Portal and NIL. Dynasties are great but only if you are the dynasty. For everyone else they are an exercise in futility and frustration.

What DO we need today? More people like Bill Walton who lived with the courage and confidence to be himself without regard for how others wanted him to be.

Vaya Con Dios... Surfer dude roundballer. May you hit all your shots now in Heaven.

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My #1 favorite college basketball player of all time (perhaps/possibly/maybe tied with Pistol Pete), playing for my #1 favorite college coach of all-time, on my #1 favorite dynasty of all-time ----- of any sport.

RIP big guy.....

(BTW, we stole the head coach from that 1973 Memphis State team.)

Great human. Had a bad day in 2001. We all have em.
RIP my deadhead brother.

He was a character for sure. Certainly never at a loss for words. Listening to him opine was humorous, and then tedious. I always imagined him and Dick Vitale doing a game together. You'd have never known a basketball game was being played. Sad to see someone die at 71, too young. As a 71 yr old 2 time cancer survivor myself reading this just now rattled me a little. RIP.

The Portland Traiblazer team coached by Dr. Jack Ramsey and led by Walton at center which won the NBA championship was really an exciting amd fun team to watch. Walton's career was shortened by a series of foot injuries. He was indeed a great player when healthy.

Se Il Illini said:

The Portland Traiblazer team coached by Dr. Jack Ramsey and led by Walton at center which won the NBA championship was really an exciting amd fun team to watch. Walton's career was shortened by a series of foot injuries. He was indeed a great player when healthy.

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It was always something special when those NBA teams that got the great UCLA centers (Milwaukee... Portland... LA... Boston...) came into Chicago Stadium to play the old Bulls teams. There was just a special kind of electricity in the air on West Madison Street and the place was always loud and filled to the rafters.

Usually, the hard-working Bulls would lose (often close games) to those more talented visitors. But those UCLA centers had that air of royalty about them that raised the level of their team mates and brought out the best in the teams that played against them.

The Bulls never had a center that rose to the greatness level of those UCLA centers. The Bulls had Artis Gilmore and Nate Thurmond and Bill Cartwright for a while but they were not at their best in the years the Bulls had them.

But especially Milwaukee, Portland, and LA saw some true greatness in the prime years of those UCLA big men.

I do prefer today’s game of ‘Positionless’ players who are long and multi-talented to those years when Big Men dominated the game. But that era was something unique to see.

Never forget watching Walton and a bunch of guys beat the all star 76'ers for the NBA title.

Walton
Hollins
Lucas
Gross
Twardzik

vs.

Dr J
George McGinnis
Caldwll Jones
Lloyd Free
Daryl Dawkins

There is a little bit of cruel irony that he passes not long after the final event in Pac-12 history.

ptgrd23 said:

Never forget watching Walton and a bunch of guys beat the all star 76'ers for the NBA title.

Walton
Hollins
Lucas
Gross
Twardzik

vs.

Dr J
George McGinnis
Caldwll Jones
Lloyd Free
Daryl Dawkins

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In hindsight, that is pretty amazing. And the next year they were off to a phenomenal start before Walton got injured. He is one of those rare players who truly made everyone around him better.