On Memorial Day, legendary basketball player and ESPN commentator Bill Walton passed away.
Walton was a beloved figure in the basketball community and was inducted in 1993 to the Naismith Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game on and off the court. Shortly after his passing the NCAA released a statement mourning Walton.
On3’s James Fletcher posted the statement to Twitter. It read:
“The passing of Bill Walton is heartbreaking. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and close friends at this difficult time. Only a select few players could rival Bill’s accomplishments on the court, having won multiple championships in both high school and the NBA, sandwiched of course around being a two-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player and national champion for UCLA during inarguably the greatest period of dominance the sport has ever seen.
“More recently, he was an engaging and entertaining television commentator championing college basketball. Bill Walton was a brilliant, interesting, thoughtful, humorous, and genuine soul who loved life and cared about everyone he encountered. He will be dearly missed by all of us who were fortunate enough to share his friendship.”
The former UCLA star and 1974 No. 1 overall draft pick won a pair of NBA championships during his playing career — in 1977 as the centerpiece of the Trail Blazers, and in 1986 as the sixth man for one of the great Celtics teams. Plus, he also won the 1978 MVP.
Unfortonately, he battled injuries throughout his career, resulting in more than 30 surgeries mostly on his ankles and feet. Such setbacks ultimately kept him from remaining in his late-70s form for very long, but at his peak, Walton was the very best player in the NBA for a brief moment.
At UCLA, Walton was also the best player for a time and won three consecutive National Player of the Year awards while also leading the Bruins to back-to-back national titles. He was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after both seasons.
Bill Walton played in the NBA from 1974-1988, ending his career with the Boston Celtics after he had helped them win the title in ’86. After ’88, though, he was forced to retire from basketball due to his overwhelming number of injury issues.
Despite a career marred by health problems, Walton is still on the NBA’s list of their 50 greatest players. Few players have ever been as successful as Bill Walton at both the college and professional level.
The post NCAA releases statement on passing of Bill Walton appeared first on On3.