Bill Walton dies at 71 after prolonged fight with cancer

Being authentic was never a problem for Bill Walton.

Impressive in every way, Walton was a two-time NCAA winner at UCLA, a two-time NBA champion, an induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and a larger-than-life figure—and that’s saying something, considering his almost 7-foot size. In his spare time, Walton was a serious advocate for the things that were important to him, a broadcaster who reveled in breaking the rules, and a chronic party animal.

“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

On behalf of Walton’s family, the league confirmed Monday that he passed away at 71 years of age after a protracted battle with cancer. He was a part of the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams and was named MVP of the 1977–78 season. In 1985–86, he was named the league’s sixth man of the year. Before that, he was a three-time national player of the year during his collegiate career at UCLA, where he excelled under coach John Wooden.

On February 12, 1978, in Portland, Oregon, the Denver Nuggets’ Dan Issel (left) and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Bill Walton (right) guarded Walton as he drove to the hoop during a game.
On February 12, 1978, in Portland, Oregon, the Denver Nuggets’ Dan Issel (left) and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Bill Walton (right) guarded Walton as he drove to the hoop during a game.

Press Release from Jack Smith / AP

Julius “Dr. J” Erving, a fellow Hall of Famer, expressed his sadness on social media upon hearing of the passing of his colleague and a much-loved figure in the sports world. “Bill Walton enjoyed life in every way. To compete against him and to work with him was a privilege in my life.”

Tributes instantly started flooding in, and the NBA was preparing a minute of silence to celebrate Walton’s life before Game 4 of the Boston-Indiana clash in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Monday night.

Walton, who joined the Hall of Fame in 1993, was one of the game’s most recognized characters. His NBA career – interrupted by recurrent foot problems — lasted just 468 games combined with the Portland Trail Blazers, the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers and the Boston Celtics. He averaged 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in those games, neither of those stats quite record-setting.

Still, his influence on the game was immense.

“It’s a legend lost when you talk about basketball and what he brought to the media side,” Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “As an ex-player, to be able to be successful not just on the court but also on TV.”

Walton’s most memorable game was the 1973 NCAA title game, UCLA vs Memphis, in which he went 21 for 22 from the field and guided the Bruins to another national championship.

“One of my guards said, ‘Let’s try something else,’” Wooden told The Associated Press in 2008 for a 35th anniversary review on that game.

Wooden’s remark during the timeout: “Why? If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it.”

They kept handing 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.

“It’s hard to imagine a season in Pauley Pavilion without him.”

When Walton resigned from the NBA he went to broadcasting, something he never imagined he could be good at — and an avenue he often worried would be viable for him, since he had a severe stutter at periods in his life.

Portland Trail Blazers legend Bill Walton is presented during a ceremony at halftime of an NBA basketball game between the Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. The celebration marked the 40th anniversary of the team’s NBA title in 1977.
Portland Trail Blazers legend Bill Walton is presented during a ceremony at halftime of an NBA basketball game between the Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. The celebration marked the 40th anniversary of the team’s NBA title in 1977.

Steve Dykes / AP

Turns out, he was amazing at it, too: Walton was an Emmy winner, ultimately was voted one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time by the American Sportscasters Association and even featured on The New York Times’ bestseller list for his biography, “Back from the Dead.” It related the account of a devastating back injury experienced in 2008, one that left him pondering ending his own life due of the persistent anguish, and how he spent years healing.

“I lived most of my life by myself. But as soon as I went on the court I was fine,” Walton told The Oregonian newspaper for a story published in 2017. “But in life, being so self conscious, red hair, big nose, freckles and goofy, nerdy looking face and can’t talk at all. I was terribly bashful and never spoke a word. Then, when I was 28 I discovered how to talk. It’s become my greatest success of my life and everyone else’s terrible nightmare.”

The final portion of that was simply Walton exaggeration. He was noted for his on-air tangents and occasionally appeared on-air in Grateful Dead T-shirts; Walton was a major admirer of the band and referenced it regularly, even sometimes producing satellite radio programs commemorating what it meant to be a “Deadhead.”

And the Pac-12 Conference, which has practically gone in many respects today because of collegiate realignment, was another of his many loves. He constantly referred to it as the “Conference of Champions” and shouted its glories all the way to the end.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he once exclaimed on a broadcast, tie-dyed T-shirt on, a Hawaiian lei around his neck.

Walton was engaged in the broadcasts of collegiate and NBA games for CBS, NBC and ABC/ESPN throughout his career, along with periods working with the Clippers and Sacramento Kings as a commentator. He returned to ESPN and the Pac-12 Network, further promoting the origins of his league, in 2012.

“Bill Walton was a legendary player and a singular personality who genuinely cherished every experience throughout the journey of his extraordinary life,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro stated. “Bill often described himself as ‘the luckiest guy in the world,’ but anyone who had the opportunity to interact with Bill was the lucky one. He was a very remarkable, giving guy who always made time for others. Bill’s one-of-a-kind character attracted and inspired people throughout his second career as a popular broadcaster.”

But Walton will always be connected with UCLA’s supremacy.

He entered at the school in 1970, before freshmen could play on the varsity squad. Once he could play for Wooden, the Bruins were untouchable for more than two years — Walton’s UCLA teams won their first 73 games, the majority of the Bruins’ record 88-game winning run. It was broken against Notre Dame in 1974, a 71-70 defeat in which Walton shot 12 for 14 from the field.

“Bill Walton’s passing is a sad tragedy. One of the best ones in UCLA basketball history,” Digger Phelps, who coached that Notre Dame team, posted Monday on social media. “We were great friends over the years. It won’t be the same without him.”

UCLA finished 30-0 in each of Walton’s first two seasons, and 86-4 throughout his career on the varsity squad.

“My teammates … made me a much better basketball player than I could ever have become myself,” Walton stated during his Hall of Fame speech in 1993. “The concept of team has always been the most intriguing aspect of basketball to me. If I had been interested in individual accomplishment or an individual activity, I would have taken up tennis or golf.”

Walton led Portland to the 1977 NBA Championship, then claimed his second championship with Boston in 1986.

“Bill Walton was an icon,” said Jody Allen, the head of the Trail Blazers. “His leadership and tenacity on the court were key to bringing a championship to our fans and defined one of the most magical moments in franchise history. We will always value what he provided to our community and the sport of basketball.”

The Celtics published a statement saying: “Bill Walton was one of the most consequential players of his era. … Walton could do it all, possessing great timing, complete vision of the floor, excellent fundamentals and was of one of the greatest passing big men in league history.”

FILE – Basketball Hall of Fame icon Bill Walton, left, laughs with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022.
FILE – Basketball Hall of Fame icon Bill Walton, left, laughs with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022.

Charles Krupa / AP

Walton felt himself lucky to have been taught by two of the game’s finest thinkers in Wooden and Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach.

“Thank you John, and thank you Red, for making my life what it has become,” Walton said in his Hall of Fame address.

Walton was the No. 1 choice by Portland in the 1974 draft. He claimed Bill Russell was his favorite player and regarded Larry Bird the hardest and finest he played with, therefore it was fair that his playing career concluded as a member of the Celtics. “Playing basketball with Larry Bird,” Walton reportedly quipped, “is like singing with Jerry Garcia,” citing the co-founder of the Grateful Dead.

In his latter years, Walton spoke out about topics that meant most to him, such as the crisis of homelessness in his beloved San Diego, encouraging municipal authorities to take action and build shelter space to aid those in need.

“What I will remember most about him was his zest for life,” Silver said in a statement. “He was a regular presence at league events — always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth. I valued our strong connection, appreciated his unlimited enthusiasm and respected the time he took with every individual he encountered.”

Walton died surrounded by his loved ones, his family said. He is survived by wife Lori and kids Adam, Nate, Chris and Luke — a former NBA player and now a coach.

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