Two-time NBA champion Bill Walton, who excelled on the court during a 13-year professional basketball career and later thrived as a broadcaster who both entertained and perplexed sports fans with his often eccentric color commentary, passed away after a “long battle with cancer,” the league announced Monday.
Rest in peace to a friend, 2X NBA Champion, Hall of Famer, and one of the most skilled centers we’ve ever seen Bill Walton! His NCAA Championship performance as a UCLA Bruin against Memphis is by far the most dominate NCAA Championship performance ever – he shot 21 for 22 and had…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 27, 2024
Walton, who was 71, was surrounded by his family when he died, NBA spokesperson Mark Broussard said in a statement. “Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “As a Hall of Fame player, he transformed the center position.
Bill Walton dead at 71 After he finished playing, the Hall of Famer started a career as a broadcaster. Portland Trail Blazer Bill Walton Two-time NBA champion Bill Walton, who excelled on the court during a 13-year professional basketball career and later thrived as a broadcaster who both entertained and perplexed sports fans with his often eccentric color commentary, passed away after a “long battle with cancer,” the league announced Monday.
Walton, who was 71, was surrounded by his family when he died, NBA spokesperson Mark Broussard said in a statement.
Bill Walton At The Los Angeles Clippers Game
Bill Walton at a game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns in Los Angeles on April 20, 2023. Allen Berezovsky / Getty Images file “Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “As a Hall of Fame player, he transformed the center position.
North Korean rocket carrying its 2nd spy satellite explodes shortly after launch Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA championship in 1977 and secured a second NBA title as a member of the Boston Celtics in 1986.
And after a 13-year career on the hardwood, Walton “channeled his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game into broadcasting, where he provided insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans,” Silver said.
Born Nov. 5, 1952, in La Mesa, California, Walton was a 6-11 high school basketball prodigy before he went to play for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins.

There, Walton won three consecutive National College Player of the Year awards from 1972 to 1974 and helped lead the Bruins to NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973. Walton was selected for the 1972 U.S. Olympic basketball team but chose not to participate.
Off the court, Walton became one of the most polarizing athletes in the country with his outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War, the Nixon administration, and the FBI. He was even arrested at a war protest during his junior year.
Walton also defied the norms for what a college athlete should look like with his shock of flame red hair and flannel shirts. He declared himself a vegetarian, practiced meditation, and became a lifelong fan of The Grateful Dead.

Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
Walton, a 6-foot-11 (211cm) center who moved gracefully despite his height, rose to stardom in college where he was part of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) dynasty under coach John Wooden.
He won National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) championships in 1972 and 1973 before establishing himself as a dominant force early in his professional career.
Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to the championship in 1977, and he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player the following year.
Category | Achievement | Description |
---|---|---|
Collegiate | NCAA Championships (1972, 1973) | Led UCLA to consecutive national titles, demonstrating his dominance and skill. |
Naismith College Player of the Year (1972, 1973) | Recognized as the best player in college basketball for two consecutive years. | |
Remarkable NCAA Title Game Performance (1973) | Achieved an extraordinary 21-for-22 shooting performance in the championship game, a historic feat. | |
Professional | NBA Draft (1974) | Selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, marking the start of his professional career. |
NBA Championship with Portland Trail Blazers (1977) | Led the Trail Blazers to their first NBA Championship, earning Finals MVP honors. | |
NBA MVP (1978) | Named the league’s Most Valuable Player, highlighting his outstanding season performance. | |
NBA Championship with Boston Celtics (1986) | Played a crucial role in the Celtics’ championship run, earning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. | |
Legacy and Recognition | Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1993) | Inducted in recognition of his exceptional career and contributions to basketball. |
Broadcasting Career | Known for his enthusiastic and distinctive commentary style, succeeding in sports broadcasting. |
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