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Remembering the Iconic Life of Bill Walton
Looking back at the remarkable life of one of basketball’s most fascinating personalities
Bill Walton passed away this week at the age of 71 following a long battle with cancer. Walton was a basketball institution, whether you watched him play in the 70s and 80s or if you enjoyed his commentary of games in the 90s and 2000s. As a player, Walton was one of the most decorated players in the game’s history whose career was cut drastically short by a slew of injuries. As a broadcaster, he was filled with joy, exuberance, and hyperbole that were so profoundly unique.
Walton often came off as an extremely grateful person for all the opportunities that were presented to him in this life. He had that gratitude through his countless injuries, his chronic pain because of surgeries later in life, and ultimately in his battle against cancer. He would often say that he was “the luckiest guy in the world” (also the name of his multipart ESPN documentary about his career), despite more than enough ammunition and adversity for him to believe otherwise. His playing style helped to inspire a generation of centers after him and his broadcasting style allowed fans of my generation to get hooked on the NBA. Bill Walton was iconic in a way that few others have been throughout the history of basketball.
