Bill Walton: Hall of Famer and NBA broadcaster dies at 71

Bill Walton, National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Famer and one of sports’ greatest broadcasters, has died at the age of 71.

Walton died after a long battle with cancer, the league announced Monday.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver remembered him as “truly one of a kind.”

Walton was known for his legendary college basketball career at California – and for overcoming a stutter to build a successful career in broadcasting.

At 6 feet 11 inches tall, he played center for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball team from 1971 to 1974.

It was with this team that he led the Bruins to two championship victories and an 88-game winning streak.

He was then selected as the first overall draft pick in 1974 by the Portland Trail Blazers, launching his professional NBA career.

Walton led the Blazers to a championship victory in 1977 – their first and only title – and won the coveted Most Valuable Player award that season.

Nine years later, he won his second NBA championship, this time with the Boston Celtics.

In a statement Monday, NBA Commissioner Silver said Walton was known around the league for his “unique all-around skill set.”

“As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position,” Mr. Silver added.

Walton’s professional career lasted only 468 games and was cut short due to chronic foot injuries.

But his basketball journey did not stop there.

Walton became an illustrious and colorful Emmy Award-winning sports commentator, bringing with him his “contagious enthusiasm and love for the game,” Mr. Silver said.

He did this despite having a pronounced stutter for much of his youth.

“In life I was so embarrassed, red hair, big nose, freckles and awkward, nerdy face and I couldn’t speak at all. I was incredibly shy and never said a word,” Mr. Walton told radio host John Canzano. in 2017.

“Then, when I was 28, I learned to speak. It became my greatest achievement in my life and everyone’s biggest nightmare.”

Aside from his entertaining commentary, Walton was often an easy figure to spot in the media booth, thanks to his brightly colored T-shirts.

“What I will remember most about him is his zest for life,” Mr. Silver said. “He was a regular presence at league events – always upbeat, smiling from ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth.”

UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin added: “It is very difficult to put into words what he has meant to the UCLA program, as well as his enormous impact on the game of basketball. -college ball.”

Walton was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

He leaves behind his wife and four sons, including Luke Walton, a former NBA player and now an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers.