OT Bill Walton RIP

[Triumph]

Every preseason I would fly to Vegas and place a bet on the Pats to win the Super Bowl when the odds were the best.

One year on the flight home via Southwest, Bill Walton was on the plane. He was so tall that his head hit the ceiling even in the middle of the plane. He was talking with the stewardess about something. Super nice guy.

 

[patman52]

That sucks. One of the most likable athletes ever. RIP Bill.

Agreed, just seemed to have a love for the game and for the celtic fans.

 

[vicspats]

Johnny Most screaming "Bird stole the ball".

It’s pretty crazy when you see old clips like that. Being a teenager back then you thought these guys as men.. you see them now now and they look so young. DJ and McHale look like kids … sheesh where did the time go.

 

[Steve102]

Here’s one:

Ainge's wife wouldn't let him go. Hysterical.

Godspeed, Big Red.

 

[Clonamery]

The NFL connection....

Bruce Walton, athlete and radio executive, 1951-2019

'He was the greatest possible older brother,' said Bill Walton of Bruce Walton, who died Friday

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

 

[Bobby T]

With some players like Sam Bowie the injuries make you wonder “what if?” With Walton you saw elite greatness that answered that question definitively before they took over. I heard somewhere the Lakers wanted free agent Walton to provide a physical and Auerbach asked Larry if he wanted to play with Walton…. Larry said sure if he thinks he can play… the rest is history.

 

[patfanken]

Ironically my favorite memory of Walton isn't from the court, it's from the sidelines: his expression of pure joy after the crazy ending to game 5 in 1987.

Top Moments: Larry Bird's steal saves Celtics against Pistons

Larry Bird's remarkable steal shifts momentum in series, allowing Boston to win Game 5 and go on to claim the series in 7 games.

www.nba.com

That 86 team was a MUST include in any conversation of the best single season team in NBA history.

But given what I've seen from the media this year, if that play happen today, Steven A, and Felger, would be complaining about why the so called 'best team in the NBA'w was taken to 7 games by Detroit and needed a miracle steal by Bird to win the series

These Mediots make it seem that every game they don't win by 30 is somehow a disappointment, an a symptom of a fatal flaw in the team.

RIP, Bill. I got to meet him a few times, back in the mid 80s when I had a loose connection with the Cs. And the way he is being portrayed all day yesterday is EXACTLY how he was each time I saw him up close.

Unique is the best word that describes him. An athletically gifted Renaissance man with a kind of optimism that was remarkable given that he had every reason to be bitter about how his NBA career went.

He miraculously played 80 games that year, and poof his foot acted up again in 87 and he was gone like mirage. The world is lesser now without him

 

[NCPATSFAN1971]

Ironically my favorite memory of Walton isn't from the court, it's from the sidelines: his expression of pure joy after the crazy ending to game 5 in 1987.

Top Moments: Larry Bird's steal saves Celtics against Pistons

Larry Bird's remarkable steal shifts momentum in series, allowing Boston to win Game 5 and go on to claim the series in 7 games.

www.nba.com

I was at the the Old Boston Garden and saw him play in that game. We had nose bleed seats and it was so loud that my ears rang for a week after the game. That was one hell of an experience. Not only did we see Bill play but what was really sweet was having the Celtics wipe that stupid grin off Isiah Thomas's face. That Detroit Team had some nasty players like Lambeer, Mahorn etc. I still dislike that Pistons Team. LOL

 

[borg]

That 86 team was a MUST include in any conversation of the best single season team in NBA history.

The 67 win '85-'86 Celtics were easily the best post-Russell Celtics team (40-1 at home) and IMO the best NBA championship team in the past 4 decades. (15-3 in playoffs)
Bird and Walton put on passing clinics nightly and it has tormented me ever since that this C's team didn't get the opportunity to take out the Lakers in the Finals. Playing Houston was anticlimactic despite the Twin Towers.
Walton played 80 regular season games.

But given what I've seen from the media this year, if that play happen today, Steven A, and Felger, would be complaining about why the so called 'best team in the NBA'w was taken to 7 games by Detroit and needed a miracle steal by Bird to win the series

It was the 59 win '86-'87 team that went the distance vs Detroit and lost to LA in the finals.
Walton only played 10 games that season

 

[Triumph]

Ainge's wife wouldn't let him go. Hysterical.

Godspeed, Big Red.

They brought coolers out with our favorite drinks - milk, water and 7-up.

 

[Triumph]

I was at the the Old Boston Garden and saw him play in that game. We had nose bleed seats and it was so loud that my ears rang for a week after the game. That was one hell of an experience. Not only did we see Bill play but what was really sweet was having the Celtics wipe that stupid grin off Isiah Thomas's face. That Detroit Team had some nasty players like Lambeer, Mahorn etc. I still dislike that Pistons Team. LOL

Post game Isiah Thomas cried raciss just like a pathetic loser because Bird got so much praise.

Bird handled the whole thing like a diplomat.

 

[Steve102]

With some players like Sam Bowie the injuries make you wonder “what if?” With Walton you saw elite greatness that answered that question definitively before they took over. I heard somewhere the Lakers wanted free agent Walton to provide a physical and Auerbach asked Larry if he wanted to play with Walton…. Larry said sure if he thinks he can play… the rest is history.

I read that today as well.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Bill's family must be grieving.


May God bless them.

 

[vicspats]

I was at the the Old Boston Garden and saw him play in that game. We had nose bleed seats and it was so loud that my ears rang for a week after the game. That was one hell of an experience. Not only did we see Bill play but what was really sweet was having the Celtics wipe that stupid grin off Isiah Thomas's face. That Detroit Team had some nasty players like Lambeer, Mahorn etc. I still dislike that Pistons Team. LOL

That Detroit team was tough. Lambeer was nuts …

 

[denverpatsfan]

 

[jimnance]

Post game Isiah Thomas cried raciss just like a pathetic loser because Bird got so much praise.

Bird handled the whole thing like a diplomat.

According to Thomas, Bird talked with him privately later and the gist of it was, " Look man,Rodman is a whacko you expect that from him. Not from you, you're better than that".
Thomas said he was surprised at how reasonable and right Bird was and that it made him embarrassed of what he said earlier.
Larry has always been a class act

 

[Triumph]

According to Thomas, Bird talked with him privately later and the gist of it was, " Look man,Rodman is a whacko you expect that from him. Not from you, you're better than that".
Thomas said he was surprised at how reasonable and right Bird was and that it made him embarrassed of what he said earlier.
Larry has always been a class act

Bird could not have handled the firestorm any better.

The whole Bird would be an everage player if he was black spiel was a complete joke.

 

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

Bird could not have handled the firestorm any better.

The whole Bird would be an everage player if he was black spiel was a complete joke.

I had forgotten about this until it was brought up here. I went to Google it and saw a picture of KC on the sidelines. Jesus. When I was a kid I thought he was like 70.

 

[1960Pats]

According to Thomas, Bird talked with him privately later and the gist of it was, " Look man,Rodman is a whacko you expect that from him. Not from you, you're better than that".
Thomas said he was surprised at how reasonable and right Bird was and that it made him embarrassed of what he said earlier.
Larry has always been a class act

It's too bad that Bill and Larry didn't get to have full, injury-free careers.

 

[Zuma]

I was at the the Old Boston Garden and saw him play in that game. We had nose bleed seats and it was so loud that my ears rang for a week after the game. That was one hell of an experience. Not only did we see Bill play but what was really sweet was having the Celtics wipe that stupid grin off Isiah Thomas's face. That Detroit Team had some nasty players like Lambeer, Mahorn etc. I still dislike that Pistons Team. LOL

Was at the game as well….6 season tickets way up in section 69 in the corner. Better than nothing.