UCLA Distinguished Hall of Famer Mourns Passing of Famer Bill Walton
The NBA confirmed on Monday morning that Bill Walton, a former men’s basketball player for UCLA and two-time NCAA champion, has gone away at the age of 71 following a protracted fight with cancer. His relatives surrounded him.
One of the most accomplished collegiate basketball players of all time, Walton helped UCLA win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973 as a sophomore and junior. This resulted in the Bruins’ historic seven-year run of NCAA titles from 1967 to 1973. After playing in the NBA from 1974 to 1987, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and was a charter member of the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.
Walton, a San Diego native and graduate of Helix High School, spent three seasons (1972–1974) as the starting center for the Bruins, playing for the famed UCLA head coach John Wooden. Walton was a standout member of UCLA’s freshman squad in 1970–71 before joining the university squad. Walton was a member of the only varsity teams at UCLA to have consecutive perfect 30-0 seasons in 1972 and 1973, contributing to the Bruins’ 86-4 three-year record overall.
His UCLA teams went on to win their first 73 games, and the Bruins set an NCAA men’s basketball record by winning 88 straight games.The Bruins won 49 games at Pauley Pavilion during his three varsity seasons. This run of home victories extended from the 1970–71 to the 1975–76 basketball seasons.
Michael Price Household “We are deeply saddened to learn of Bill Walton’s passing on behalf of everyone connected to the UCLA men’s basketball program,” stated Mick Cronin, head coach of the men’s basketball team. My sincere sympathies are sent to his loved ones and family. The immense influence he had on college basketball and our program is difficult to express.
Beyond his outstanding athletic accomplishments, his larger-than-life attitude as an ardent UCLA alumnus and broadcaster was characterized by his constant energy, passion for the game, and uncompromising honesty.As a coach, I treasured the time he spent with our players, listening to his tales, and receiving his counsel.
His heart was always in the right place, and he was sincere and gentle. I shall really miss him. It’s difficult to envision Pauley Pavilion throughout a season without him. He will be sorely missed by this university, our squad, and the athletics department.”
After setting multiple school records at Westwood, Walton was chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. In all three of his varsity seasons, Walton was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American and was named an All-Pac-8 selection three times (1972–1974).
He continues to be one of the top 10 leaders in the program’s history in a number of statistical categories. He is ranked 13th in career points (1,767) and first on UCLA’s career list of rebounders (1,370). In addition, Walton was named an academic All-America selection each of his three years as a varsity player (1972–1974).
“We are stunned and saddened by the news of Bill Walton’s passing,” stated Martin Jarmond, the Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics at UCLA. Bill demonstrated several qualities from Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success and embraced many of the values that our university holds dear.
He enjoyed being around our teams, announcing games at Pauley Pavilion, and visiting the UCLA campus again. We offer our condolences to his family and find solace in the knowledge that Bill created his masterpiece every single day.”
The initial two UCLA men’s basketball players to have their jersey numbers retired were Walton and another legendary player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played as Lew Alcindor during his undergraduate career. Walton, who played for UCLA and wore the number 32, was honored at halftime of a UCLA men’s basketball game against DePaul on February 3, 1990, along with Abdul-Jabbar and past standouts for the UCLA women’s basketball team, Ann Meyers-Drysdale and Denise Curry.
At this event, which took place during the school’s “Pauley at 25” celebration in the 1989–90 season, a UCLA basketball player’s jersey number was retired for the first time. Ten past men’s basketball players had their jersey numbers retired at UCLA since then.
With the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego Clippers (now Los Angeles Clippers), and Boston Celtics, Walton spent ten seasons as an NBA player. In 1977, he was a part of Portland’s NBA championship team and came in second in the MVP voting. During his fourth season in the NBA with Portland in 1978, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Despite suffering multiple injuries throughout his NBA career, Walton made a comeback to be a vital member of the Boston Celtics in the mid-1980s.
He assisted Boston in defeating the Houston Rockets in a six-game series to win the 1986 NBA Finals.
Following his NBA career, Walton transitioned to sports broadcasting while continuing to be active in a number of clinics, camps, and humanitarian and philanthropic organizations. He worked as a color analyzer in addition to a studio analyst. He most recently provided color commentary for college basketball broadcasts on ESPN and Pac-12 Network. He collaborated with the broadcast team at Pauley Pavilion and other Pac-12 basketball arenas on a regular basis.
In 1990, Walton joined Prime Ticket Network as a commentator for sports television. He also worked for NBC after leaving CBS Sports in the early 1990s, covering the Olympic Games in 2000 (Sydney) and 1996 (Atlanta). In 2002, he began working as an NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC.
Walton’s wife Lori, 33, his four kids Adam, Nathan, Luke, and Chris, as well as their three granddaughters Olivia, Avery Rose, and Chase, make up the family.