Bill Walton Dies at 71

[cykadelic2]

Don’t mean this in a bad way but I’d have guessed he was older.

Between his serious foot and back issues, that would have aged anyone prematurely and the cancer issue he's battled has been prolonged.

He was truly one of a kind both on and off the court and obviously as a TV analyst. He did win an Emmy back in 2001. He and Alcindor are the two most dominant CBB players I've seen and the '77 Blazers are one of my favorite NBA title teams. They were so much fun to watch when Bill was healthy.

 

[Cycsk]

I thought it would have been smart months ago for the Big 10 to pay Walton a huge amount of money to record him saying:

"The Big 10 . . . Conference of Champions."

 

[madguy30]

This is sad news. Bill was so unique, there will never be one like him. And CBB is worse off today because of it.

Commentators are just too serious at times or trying to play up catch phrases. Just go out there and have fun.

They either talk about blue bloods or will go several possessions without saying a word.

Generally basketball doesn't actually need a commentator since it's pretty easy to see what is happening.

So you might as well have someone telling stories about being backstage at a Dead show and then also celebrating the good things about the game.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

So can cancer.

True. I should not have been so flippant. I'm a little weirded out because the famous people dying aren't "old" anymore. They're MY age.

 

[SaraV]

 

[madguy30]

True. I should not have been so flippant. I'm a little weirded out because the famous people dying aren't "old" anymore. They're MY age.

Ha, I wouldn't call it flippant. To be fair, cancer is a rough life in itself.

I've experienced my parents' friends (some I considered family/friends in various ways) dying off and it's all a little spooky and sad for a lot of reasons.

My last memories of many of these people are from 20 or more years ago but in my mind it was just yesterday so thinking of them as being in their 70s or 80s doesn't even make sense.

 

[ClonerJams]

Gotta think Bill is up in heaven lighting a fatty with Jerry and Jimi

 

[simply1]

That Walton died a day after one of the things we was most passionate about ended.

Bill Walton didn’t want to live in a world without the Pac and now he won’t.

I understand the sentiment, but I bet he’d have taken more time with his sons.

 

[madguy30]

Some great tributes/memories here.

Social media reacts to death of Bill Walton, 'The Luckiest Guy in the World'

Everyone seemed to have a favorite Bill Walton moment.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[diaclone]

He obviously was the toker/tie dye guy these last years but I remember him on NBC decades ago and he was always getting after lazy players on defense and offense with poor passing. He knew the game, that's for sure.

Walton learned from the best - John Wooden....

 

[Freebird]

This makes me very sad. I know it makes many of you very sad too.

 

[Sigmapolis]

My wife and I went to a wedding in Arizona this past weekend before Memorial Day.

The hotel was also the host for the Pac-12 baseball teams... for the final time.

Bill Walton going out just days after the Pac-12 closes the book forever is some level of poetic.

I know he wasn't everybody's style of commentator, but he seemed like a genuinely nice man who loved the sport of basketball and life itself to a rare degree, like a saint or a philosopher of yore.

 

[Dgilbertson]

I think he once said John Stockton is the greatest story of western civilization.

 

[Cycsk]

Some great tributes/memories here.

Social media reacts to death of Bill Walton, 'The Luckiest Guy in the World'

Everyone seemed to have a favorite Bill Walton moment.

sports.yahoo.com

Mid-year nomination for post/link of the year. Great stuff here.

 

[burn587]

Walton learned from the best - John Wooden....

Wooden might’ve been the only person to ever rein in Walton. Walton loved to tell a story about the time he tried to grow a beard at UCLA.

Walton shows up to the first practice of the year sporting a full beard:

Wooden: “Bill, we have a rule about facial hair and you’ll need to shave.”

Walton goes on a rant: “This is a free country and as an adult American I have the right to wear a beard if I want to.”

Wooden: “You’re absolutely right Bill, as an American you have that right and we’ll miss having you on the team.”

Walton runs back to the locker room to shave.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Use to see Bill multiple times per year at the Grateful Dead. One year my friend Pete (RIP) was seated behind Bill for 4 of the 5 nights of the spring 1988 tour.
"I'm going to the ticket office to see if I can get out of these obstructed view seats" I wonder if he ever got to 1000 shows? Hope him Jerry Uncle Bobo and my friend Pete are kicking it upstairs. Cheers big man!

 

[Cyinthenorth]

While this sucks, at least we still have King McClure.

 

[2forISU]

Cancer continues to take away far too many lives.

 

[NWICY]

While this sucks, at least we still have King McClure.

Well I don't think their announcing styles will ever be confused.

 

[drmwevr08]

Wooden might’ve been the only person to ever rein in Walton. Walton loved to tell a story about the time he tried to grow a beard at UCLA.

Walton shows up to the first practice of the year sporting a full beard:

Wooden: “Bill, we have a rule about facial hair and you’ll need to shave.”

Walton goes on a rant: “This is a free country and as an adult American I have the right to wear a beard if I want to.”

Wooden: “You’re absolutely right Bill, as an American you have that right and we’ll miss having you on the team.”

Walton runs back to the locker room to shave.

I read it was a haircut and he rode his bike to the barber.
Whatever, a story is a story!