RIP Bill Walton

[Fireball Jr.]

 

[Toga]

And I leveled him.

 

[atlanticuse]

just watched an amazing video on him and nearly cried. Very similar to sales kickoff engagements.

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[cuseattle]

Such a big, beautiful, positive, caring, thoughtful man. His personality bigger than his frame, he just seemed to get every ounce of joy and wonder out of each day.
The news of his surprise passing was shared with me this morning by a fellow Grateful Dead enthusiast and then by another shortly thereafter. He had just caught a show at the Vegas sphere recently.
I look forward to reading everyone's remembrances of a man who blazed his own trail. Gone too soon.

 

[JustPherU]

Was a 10 year old and watched this live one Saturday afternoon, on NBC's college bball broadcast. -sigh-

I was also 10 and remember that game and can still remember rooting for Notre Dame.They played again the next week at UCLA and the Bruins buried them.

 

[SWC75]

If you ever want to smoke and talk hoops for hours on end you let me know.

Sorry, I don't smoke. Nice pink lungs.

 

[Obie9]

We met Bill for the first time in 2010 after a game in San Diego. Topics of conversation included the oversized lawn chair he sat in at the games, where the lawn chair was stored, Jim Boeheim/Syracuse, and his Carhartt jacket that he loved. We were with him for about 15 minutes and he did 99% of the talking.

He autographed this picture a few years later, and talked about the jacket again. I never met anyone quite like him, and both Headmaster9 & I were sad to hear of his passing.

 

[SWC75]

And to think that Dave was once the "Voice of the Orange" and he wound up being Bill's straight man.

 

[SWC75]

Bill Walton was a Hawaiian shirt. The rest of us are what the shirt we've got on says we are.

 

[Sherman20]

Good piece on Walton’s outspoken political stances in the 70s.

Bill Walton Was Once a Trailblazing Radical

www.thenation.com

 

[cali315phan]

I have a copy of one of his Dead shows from college at Pauley Pavilion in Bill's senior year.

Legendary 2nd set - Playin - Uncle John - Morning Dew - Uncle John - Playin

A REALLY solid show in a year where the Dead was basically dormant. Just got to Hanalei, Kauai (where Bill Kreutzmann lives) and saw Bill's post about Bill. Always loved running into Bill Walton at shows around the San Diego area and would see him sit in on percussion with Electric Waste Band whenever I could. He was always happy, smiling and had a passion for life that very few do. Oteil Burbridge summed it up best, "And if you didn't like him, then you're probably not a nice person." R.I.P. to a true legend of a human being.

 

[Newhouser]

He is sort of my "what might have been guy" - because we saw a snippet of what might have been, and on the court it was awesome. Personally I think he took his broadcasting hipster thing too far in his latter years, but that is a personal taste. What is not a personal taste is how great he was when he was able to go. I also think a healthy Walton would be a beast in the modern game.

finally - i loved that he always wanted to be listed under 7'. Saw him in person and he looked so much taller. A beyond great player who led a great (and courageous) life.

 

[atlanticuse]

Joey : Wait a minute. I know you. You're Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You play basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Roger Murdock : I'm sorry, son, but you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Roger Murdock. I'm the co-pilot.
Joey : You are Kareem! I've seen you play. My dad's got season tickets.
Roger Murdock : I think you should go back to your seat now, Joey. Right, Clarence?
Captain Oveur : Nahhhhhh, he's not bothering anyone. Let him stay here.
Roger Murdock : But just remember, my name is...
[showing his nametag]
Roger Murdock : ROGER MURDOCK. I'm an airline pilot.
Joey : I think you're the greatest, but my dad says you don't work hard enough on defense.
[Kareem gets angry]
Joey : And he says that lots of times, you don't even run down court. And that you don't really try... except during the playoffs.
Roger Murdock : [breaking character] The hell I don't! LISTEN, KID! I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night! Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!

 

[SWC75]

Bill Walton was unique in media and life, with a message we all understood

Peace and love. That was Walton's message. Everyone got it. For all of his accomplishments, what a great legacy.

www.nytimes.com

"At times, he might have seemed as if he lived on another planet, but he wanted you and everybody else to join him on it because it was a place where love and dreams come true."

 

[CuseTG2003]

Danny Ainge’s wife wouldn’t let him go to a Dead concert.

Such an awesome story.

I love Bill Walton and will miss his infectious positive energy. RIP.

 

[RandygoCuse]

Walton is similar to John Madden and Tommy Heinsohn in that how you view him speaks to your generation. He had different identities:

• One of college's greatest stars
• An NBA great with a short but impressive peak
• A color commentator with a larger-than-life personality.
  
  

As an NBA player, he's somewhat of a "What if." He had so many injury problems, but at this peak he managed consecutive seasons with accomplishments such as All NBA, All Defense, Finals MVP (and Championship) and a Season MVP.

He'll be missed.

 

[Eric15]

As an NBA player, he's somewhat of a "What if." He had so many injury problems

If you polled a large sample size of sports fans and asked "who had more career NBA points, Bill Walton or Billy Owens?" I feel like an overwhelming percentage would guess Walton but shockingly it's Billy.

 

[RandygoCuse]

If you polled a large sample size of sports fans and asked "who had more career NBA points, Bill Walton or Billy Owens?" I feel like an overwhelming percentage would guess Walton but shockingly it's Billy.

Walton's body failed him - but I guess Owens had his share of injury problems too. I wish I could have seen Walton play at his peak. I'm sure his stats don't do him justice.

 

[IthacaMatt]

He is sort of my "what might have been guy" - because we saw a snippet of what might have been, and on the court it was awesome. Personally I think he took his broadcasting hipster thing too far in his latter years, but that is a personal taste. What is not a personal taste is how great he was when he was able to go. I also think a healthy Walton would be a beast in the modern game.

finally - i loved that he always wanted to be listed under 7'. Saw him in person and he looked so much taller. A beyond great player who led a great (and courageous) life.

Just look at the photos of him next to Jay Bilas, who is 6-10. Maybe an inch shorter due to old age "shrinkage". But Bill was old, too, had had so much surgery, and he still looks 5 or 6 inches taller than Bilas.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[AlaskaSU]

Bill was an active member of the youth movement centered around NW Portland, close to downtown. One day I went to a concert at a small old non-descript neighborhood theater run by the Y, to see an up and coming female singer, Holly Near. It was a small crowd, year was 1994. Bill was there early, sitting up front in the middle by himself.

Occasionally he showed up at local courts for pick up games.

He was dating a friend of a good friend of mine.

Modern NBA stars live in an exclusive world, perhaps of necessity. Bill lived in the regular youth world of Portland. There will not be another like him.

 

[Toga]

x.com

x.com

 

[two3zone]

Just look at the photos of him next to Jay Bilas, who is 6-10. Maybe an inch shorter due to old age "shrinkage". But Bill was old, too, had had so much surgery, and he still looks 5 or 6 inches taller than Bilas.

No chance Jay Bilas is 6'10", he has me by an inch tops.

 

[br801]

 

[OrangeXtreme]