RIP Bill Walton

[almaman]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nba/article-13464853/NBA-hall-famer-Bill-Walton-dies-aged-71-battle-cancer.html

 

 

[davidnark]

He was a character (in a good way), and the world needs more of them. 

[thetorch]

Such a brilliant player.  If not for injuries would surely be in the discussion for GOAT.  Breaks Of The Game by David Halberstram is one of the great basketball books ever written and follows his Trailblazer team.  One of the few players who played the game with absolute joy.  He loved every second that he was on the court.  The consummate teammate as well.  Every player should model their game after the Big Redhead.

My father and grandfather were able to watch him at the Arena in his 21-22 game beating Memphis for the title.  He was at the MAC for the 50th anniversary of that game.  Got to meet him, a highlight of my basketball life.

[almaman]

thnx never read will now, remember thinking that when it came out will now read as he's with Jerry again

 

[Schasz]

Don't know if any Billiken fans remember but back in the day SLU allowed season ticket holders to purchase tickets to the NCAA Finals held at the old Arena. I was a season ticket holder  back then so I went to both Finals at the Arena. I saw Walton's incredible performance over what at the time was known as Memphis State. I think he shot 19 out of 20 FGs. I seem to remember his miss was a tip in. 

[willie]

46 minutes ago, Schasz said:

Don't know if any Billiken fans remember but back in the day SLU allowed season ticket holders to purchase tickets to the NCAA Finals held at the old Arena. I was a season ticket holder  back then so I went to both Finals at the Arena. I saw Walton's incredible performance over what at the time was known as Memphis State. I think he shot 19 out of 20 FGs. I seem to remember his miss was a tip in. 

Torch was correct 22 of 23. Yes the NCAA use to have host teams for their tournament sites. The Billikens would use the rights to buy tickets to raise a little money. They would have a brunch or something at a certain level that included tickets. Nice perk. Greatest individual performance ever. 

[Taj79]

Not a fan of the player, the person and especially the broadcaster.  Found him to rank among the most annoying, rivaling Pete Gillen and Dick Vitale.  Just in a different kind of way.  Given who he was, not surprising.  

[slu72]

1 hour ago, Schasz said:

Don't know if any Billiken fans remember but back in the day SLU allowed season ticket holders to purchase tickets to the NCAA Finals held at the old Arena. I was a season ticket holder  back then so I went to both Finals at the Arena. I saw Walton's incredible performance over what at the time was known as Memphis State. I think he shot 19 out of 20 FGs. I seem to remember his miss was a tip in. 

That game is what I most remember. I think he scored 33 and only missed 2 shots. He also led UCLA to 88 straight W’s. He was a force. Yeah, he was a little off center in his politics but you still had to admire his game and attitude. RIP Bill. You’re a legend. 

[SLUMS81]

If memory serves, dunking was not allowed then.  Makes his shooting percentage in that championship game all the more impressive.

[willie]

8 minutes ago, SLUMS81 said:

If memory serves, dunking was not allowed then.  Makes his shooting percentage in that championship game all the more impressive.

If my old memory serves they waived off one of his field goals as a dunk. Called a turnover not an attempt. 

[brianstl]

Sad news.  I stayed up way too late on many work nights just to listen to him call games.  I know many hate him, but I found him thoroughly entertaining on the ESPN PAC coverage.  I will miss him.

[HoosierPal]

1 hour ago, slu72 said:

That game is what I most remember. I think he scored 33 and only missed 2 shots. He also led UCLA to 88 straight W’s. He was a force. Yeah, he was a little off center in his politics but you still had to admire his game and attitude. RIP Bill. You’re a legend. 

 

1 hour ago, SLUMS81 said:

If memory serves, dunking was not allowed then.  Makes his shooting percentage in that championship game all the more impressive.

Walton scored 44 points on 21-22.  He had a couple of offensive goal tending baskets  (yes they were dunks that weren't allowed) removed from the score.  Look up the term Larger than Life, and Bill Walton's picture will be there.  He reportedly attended over 1000 Grateful Dead concerts, personifying Dead Head.

[almaman]

I c left/right in most Walton haters. as a player very puzzling how one can dislike him as a player. was he considered dirty, or what? 2 championships. not easy to do any major team sport.

[MusicCityBilliken]

10 hours ago, brianstl said:

Sad news.  I stayed up way too late on many work nights just to listen to him call games.  I know many hate him, but I found him thoroughly entertaining on the ESPN PAC coverage.  I will miss him.

Loved those late night Pac12 games with Walton doing the commentary. Made the game so much more entertaining.

12 hours ago, Schasz said:

Don't know if any Billiken fans remember but back in the day SLU allowed season ticket holders to purchase tickets to the NCAA Finals held at the old Arena. I was a season ticket holder  back then so I went to both Finals at the Arena. I saw Walton's incredible performance over what at the time was known as Memphis State. I think he shot 19 out of 20 FGs. I seem to remember his miss was a tip in. 

For the 1973 NCAA championship it was my JR year at SLU. When I arrived that year for the Fall semester the tickets were on sale for the students at the West Pine Gym Ticket Office. The tickets were incredibly cheap. I recall like $15 or $20 for both the play-in and championship games. Also the seats were decent. Mid-court, 1/2 way up at the old Arena. The games did come over Spring Break.  

[Schasz]

18 minutes ago, MusicCityBilliken said:

Loved those late night Pac12 games with Walton doing the commentary. Made the game so much more entertaining.

For the 1973 NCAA championship it was my JR year at SLU. When I arrived that year for the Fall semester the tickets were on sale for the students at the West Pine Gym Ticket Office. The tickets were incredibly cheap. I recall like $15 or $20 for both the play-in and championship games. Also the seats were decent. Mid-court, 1/2 way up at the old Arena. The games did come over Spring Break.  

I graduated from SLU in '71 so I was a season ticket holder and was able to purchase tix. Bill had a good career at UCLA and won a couple NBA titles. Like others I enjoyed his commentary on games after his career. Years later I did get to see a game at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA played their cross town rivals USC and beat them that night.. It happened in a year when UCLA won another Natty. The other NCAA I attended was when Kentucky won the Natty.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

Not old enough to remember Bill the player but I became a huge fan of Pac hoops because of Bill the broadcaster. Such great positive energy and enthusiasm. William Theodore (which is the same name as my grandfather and now my son) was truly one of a kind! Played a little Grateful Dead and Beach Boys while grilling yesterday in his honor. Not a fan of anyone that feels the need to go out of their way to trash a person less than a day after dying. I find those people to rank among the most annoying, rivalling Ross Gellar and The Dell Computer Guy. 

[MusicCityBilliken]

32 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

Not old enough to remember Bill the player but I became a huge fan of Pac hoops because of Bill the broadcaster. Such great positive energy and enthusiasm. William Theodore (which is the same name as my grandfather and now my son) was truly one of a kind! Played a little Grateful Dead and Beach Boys while grilling yesterday in his honor. Not a fan of anyone that feels the need to go out of their way to trash a person less than a day after dying. I find those people to rank among the most annoying, rivalling Ross Gellar and The Dell Computer Guy. 

During my freshman year (70-71) at SLU the Grateful Dead performed at the FOX (this was the old FOX, prior to being renovated) that was sponsored by one of the fraternities. Great concert with Jerry Garcia on guitar and vocals. After that I became a life-long Dead fan.

[Brighton]

I’ll take his quirkiness and “aloof” politics over the shitshow that metastasized since the southern strategy.

RIP Big Red

 

[slufan13]

Leave it to billikens.com to mention a dead man's politics multiple times. 

[Bay Area Billiken]

I liked Bill Walton’s PAC-12 game commentary, thought he was hilarious. He was unique. We saw him at the USC @ Cal game in Berkeley on 2/7/24, where he was in his element. He talked to the fans, high fived with Cal’s Straw Hat Band. Having just seen him only 3+ months ago, I was surprised to receive the news yesterday of his passing. 

I watched on TV his incredible NCAA Championship Game performance for UCLA from the St. Louis Arena. He was the starting Center for the NBA Champion Portland Trailblazers. His backup on that Portland team was the late Robin Jones from SLU. 
 

[thetorch]

On 5/27/2024 at 6:54 PM, Taj79 said:

Not a fan of the player, the person and especially the broadcaster.  Found him to rank among the most annoying, rivaling Pete Gillen and Dick Vitale.  Just in a different kind of way.  Given who he was, not surprising.  

Announcer - you either love him or hate him.

Person - His radical politics, protesting vietnam, supporting civil rights, disdain for the federal government while at the time were controversial but now are pretty mainstream views. He could have made a couple better choices, like not being roommates with friends of Patty Hearst. Maybe his drug use or deadhead fandom rubs you the wrong way but Walton hasn't spoken out about politics in decades and his views are not much different than Russell, Kareem, or Ali. Guess you hate those guys too?

Player - Walton was the greatest teammate to ever live. He played a beautiful game and played it to win. I'd argue you can't be a fan of basketball if you don't like how Walton played the game.

[Taj79]

My disdain for Walton is all pretty much in the present.  You are right .... announcer:  hate him.  End of discussion.

Don't care much either way about his politics.  Or his playing career.  When I actually cared about NBA basketball, his Trailblzers took out my 76ers.  Hated the Celtics always but them having Bill Walton did not move that needle one notch.  Doesn't every player play to win?  

I dislike the schtick that has become collegiate broadcasting.  Vitale.  Gillen.  Stephen A. Smith.  Shannon Sharpe.  We used to watch MNF with the sound off during the Cosell days.  Mike Shannon was a mumble mouth idiot.  Classic guys blend into the story, they don't become it.  Vin Scully.  Harry Kalas.  Jack Buck.  

My dislike of Walton resides in the broadcast booth.  Nowhere else.  The focus would be on recency over primacy.

[billiken_roy]

4 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

My dislike of Walton resides in the broadcast booth.  Nowhere else.  The focus would be on recency over primacy.

100% agree.  Hate him off the court.

That said,his UCLA days were legendary.   Has there been a college Center that dominated in such a diverse fashion?  

[Taj79]

That guy in St. Louis destroying Memphis State was amazing for sure.

[Billiken Rich]

50 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

My disdain for Walton is all pretty much in the present.  You are right .... announcer:  hate him.  End of discussion.

Don't care much either way about his politics.  Or his playing career.  When I actually cared about NBA basketball, his Trailblzers took out my 76ers.  Hated the Celtics always but them having Bill Walton did not move that needle one notch.  Doesn't every player play to win?  

I dislike the schtick that has become collegiate broadcasting.  Vitale.  Gillen.  Stephen A. Smith.  Shannon Sharpe.  We used to watch MNF with the sound off during the Cosell days.  Mike Shannon was a mumble mouth idiot.  Classic guys blend into the story, they don't become it.  Vin Scully.  Harry Kalas.  Jack Buck.  

My dislike of Walton resides in the broadcast booth.  Nowhere else.  The focus would be on recency over primacy.

Vin Scully? Yuck.  Shannon in the early days was enjoyable due to to his love of the game and insanity.  He did go on too long in my opinion.  Cosell was my guy when Dallas was good in the olden days.  I can still here him turning Billy Joe DuPree into a twenty syllable name.