OT Bill Walton RIP

[bresna]

Bill Walton has died at the age of 71 after a prolonged fight with cancer.

Bill Walton Dies - SI.com

 

[borisman]

Didn't know he was sick.

RIP, Big Red.

Thanks for helping us big time in '86.

 

[borisman]

 

[FortressX]

1986 was great

Only 71

Hall of Famer Bill Walton, 71, dies of cancer

Two-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Bill Walton has died of cancer at the age of 71, the NBA announced Monday.

www.espn.com

 

[jimnance]

Sad. Too young.
I've seen all the greatest centers(not necessarily in order),
Russell,Wilt,Kareem,Akeem - thise are indisputable the top 4. Jokic might be #5.
No,Shaq does not make the top 5. He was dominant but not on the same level as these guys.
That being said, for one season,1977,reg season and playoffs included,
Bill Walton was the greatest center of all time- his best was better than anyone elses' best- that's a fact.
His problem was his feet. He had serious injury problems with them that kept him from being anywhere close to the top of his game for most if his career.
But at his best- he was the best I've ever seen. Even better than Russell and Wilt.
One the alltime greatest shot blockers, great rebounder, great one on one and team defender, one if the most athletic centers ever- Akerm is the only one close-
best passing center I've ever seen. He was pointguard good as a passer.
Great shooter and scorer. Always about winning. Unselfish.
Put it this way - if he was healthy his entire career, he's not just the GOAT center- he's the GOAT player. Better than Jordan.
But the injuries were real. His feet betrayed him. So you can't put him in the goat convo because of that.
We all got robbed of seeing bball played at the highest level.
But DAMN, that one season.
That was something.
RIP, Bill

 

[Huckleberry1]

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

 

[oldrover]

Thanks for the memories, Bill. May the good Lord rest you and keep you.

 

[Mack Herron]

Here’s one:

 

[TheRainMaker]

Loved Bill Walton the announcer on NBC. "Throw it down big man...throw it down!"

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sad. Too young.
I've seen all the greatest centers(not necessarily in order),
Russell,Wilt,Kareem,Akeem - thise are indisputable the top 4. Jokic might be #5.
No,Shaq does not make the top 5. He was dominant but not on the same level as these guys.
That being said, for one season,1977,reg season and playoffs included,
Bill Walton was the greatest center of all time- his best was better than anyone elses' best- that's a fact.
His problem was his feet. He had serious injury problems with them that kept him from being anywhere close to the top of his game for most if his career.
But at his best- he was the best I've ever seen. Even better than Russell and Wilt.
One the alltime greatest shot blockers, great rebounder, great one on one and team defender, one if the most athletic centers ever- Akerm is the only one close-
best passing center I've ever seen. He was pointguard good as a passer.
Great shooter and scorer. Always about winning. Unselfish.
Put it this way - if he was healthy his entire career, he's not just the GOAT center- he's the GOAT player. Better than Jordan.
But the injuries were real. His feet betrayed him. So you can't put him in the goat convo because of that.
We all got robbed of seeing bball played at the highest level.
But DAMN, that one season.
That was something.
RIP, Bill

Always tough to hypothesize the "if" but it's easy with Walton to say "if he was healthy" because we saw it.

A healthy Bill Walton was the greatest all-around center who ever played.

Only player I ever saw who fired the outlet pass out after a rebound BEFORE his feet touched the floor. From a court-awareness and hoops IQ standpoint he was on the same level as Bird and Magic.

He made the '86 team one of the greatest of all-time. ...if not the greatest. He was 1/2 the player he was and was still dominant when he played. So dominant KC played him instead of Parish at the end of G4 in the '86 Finals to guard Akeem.

Just one of those players you just enjoyed watching.

RIP

 

[vicspats]

Here’s one:

Haha Danny Ainge was a ***** !! What a great story … my favorite all time band for sure.

 

[maust]

RIP Big Red. Truly a man who marched to the beat of his own drummer

 

[TinhWoodhead]

any relation to the Wal-Mart family

 

[PP2]

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

 

[Family]

Maybe the greatest college player ever; certainly top 5.

RIP bill

 

[Sect140]

I always told the boys when they were growing up that if Bill Walton had stayed healthy he would still be considered the best center ever, also would be in the discussion on best player ever.

Kareem’s statement today said Bill was the best of us.

 

[NormZauchin]

The 1986 Celtics on which Walton played was one of the greatest NBA teams of all time. Some say it was the greatest. RIP, Bill.

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

Loved his story about the day he and Bird was sitting and talking
He said he always would talk hoop with players but when he got to deep they would tap out.
He said Bird was the first person to start a back and forth chat on that deep Hoop knowledge.
Sixth sense type of stuff

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

The 1986 Celtics on which Walton played was one of the greatest NBA teams of all time. Some say it was the greatest. RIP, Bill.

He led the greeen team in practice
They said those practices were intense

 

[Triumph]

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

Johnny Most screaming "Bird stole the ball".