Basketball legend Bill Walton, who led the UCLA Bruins to two national titles before winning two championships during his NBA career, has died at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer.
The NBA issued a statement saying Walton died Monday while surrounded by his family.
“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
He was the NBA’s MVP in the 1977-78 season and a member of both the NBA’s 50th anniversary and 75th anniversary teams. That all followed a college career in which he was a two-time champion at UCLA and a three-time national player of the year under iconic coach John Wooden.
“What I will remember most about him was his zest for life, Silver said in his statement. “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.
“As a cherished member of the NBA family for 50 years, Bill will be deeply missed by all those who came to know and love him.”
Walton, who was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1993, was larger than life, on the court, off the court and during his broadcasting career.
His NBA career — disrupted by chronic foot injuries — lasted only 468 games with Portland Trail Blazers, the San Diego and eventually LA Clippers and Boston Celtics. He averaged 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in those games, neither of those numbers exactly record-setting.
Still, his impact on the game was massive.
His most famous game was the 1973 NCAA title game, UCLA against Memphis, in which he shot an incredible 21 for 22 from the field and led the Bruins to another national championship.
The Bruins kept giving the ball to Walton, and he kept delivering in a performance for the ages.
“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 coach Mick Cronin said Monday. “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.
“As a passionate UCLA alumnus and broadcaster, he loved being around our players, hearing their stories and sharing his wisdom and advice. For me as a coach, he was honest, kind and always had his heart in the right place. I will miss him very much. It’s hard to imagine a season in Pauley Pavilion without him.”
Walton originally joined ESPN and ABC in 2002 as a lead analyst for NBA games before shifting to college basketball in 2012. He also worked for CBS and NBC and was named one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all-time by the American Sportscasters Association in 2009.
“As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position,” Silver said. “Bill then translated his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game to broadcasting, where he delivered insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans.”
The first overall pick of the 1974 NBA draft by the Trail Blazers, the 6-foot-11 Walton played 10 seasons in the NBA, winning championships with the Blazers (1977) and the Celtics (1986). He averaged a double-double over his career, totaling 6,215 points (13.3 per game), 4,923 rebounds (10.5 per game), 1,034 blocks (2.2 per game) and 1,590 assists.
A two-time All-Star, he led the NBA in rebounding and blocks in 1977 and was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year in 1986.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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