"[36], In 2009, Walton underwent an eight-hour spinal-fusion surgery. He missed three games. Your Account Logout Login Create Account MENU Players Schools Years Leaders CFB Scores Bowls Play Index Newsletter [39][38], "David Thompson's a great champion. . That's the day the oft-injured Hall of Famer, whose career had . At age 32, Walton wished to move to a winning franchise and reached out to teams after the season ended in 1985. Bill was taller, but frail as he had not filled out his growing frame. We had a bitter argument over that, and I lost that argument, too", said Walton, who took only three shots as UCLA had a 7861 win. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Walton called the game the most disappointing outcome of his entire basketball career, as UCLA had a 5-point lead late in regulation and a 7-point lead in the 2nd overtime, before NC State with David Thompson rallied to win, 8077. "[55], The following season, the 197778 Trail Blazers won 50 of their first 60 games, as Walton averaged 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks in 58 games. In addition, during his first two years, Walton badly sprained an ankle, broke his left wrist twice, dislocated two toes, dislocated two fingers, broke a toe and injured his leg in a jeep accident. "[36], UCLA finished 264 and 122 in the Pac 8 Conference, with Walton playing alongside Keith Wilkes, David Myers, and Marques Johnson. Bill Walton was born on November 5, 1952. 3x NATIONAL COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Walton had 14 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists against Indiana. But as soon as I got on the court I was fine. He averaged 21.1, 20.4, and 19.3 points per game in his three seasons and was . [23][24], In the 1972 Final Four, Walton had 33 points and 21 rebounds, on 11 of 13 shooting and 11 of 12 free-throws, against Louisville in the NCAA semifinal, as UCLA won 9677. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [101], Adam Walton played at Louisiana State University, Pomona College and the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California. [35] Later in the season, UCLA dropped consecutive games in consecutive days at Oregon and Oregon State,[36] nicknamed "the Lost Weekend". Having played just 468 games over 10 seasons, Walton retired after the 198687 campaign. All of those guys all still my friends to this very day. Following his retirement, he became an outspoken analyst on NBA television broadcasts. I never spoke to anybody. 60 games): 20.3 points per game, Fourth, tied for fifth in rebounds in an NCAA tournament semifinal: 18 (1974), 17 (1973), Tied for fourth all-time in rebounds in an NCAA tournament championship game: 20 (1972), Fourth in UCLA history in field goals made: 747, Fifth all-time in most rebounds in a season: 506 rebounds in 1973, Sixth all-time in highest rebound average in a season: 16.9 rebounds per game in 1973, Thirteenth all-time in career field goal percentage: 65.1 percent, Nineteenth and 24th on UCLA's all-time single-season scoring average list: 21.1 ppg (1972), 20.4 ppg (1973), Tied for 18th all-time for most double-doubles in a season: 27 (in 30 games) in 1973, Tied for 21st all-time for most double-doubles in a career: 72 double-doubles, Tied for 22nd all-time in most rebounds in a game since 1973: 27 rebounds against Loyola Chicago and Maryland in 1973, Tied for 27th all-time in consecutive double-doubles in a season: 15 consecutive double-doubles in 1971-72. This article was most recently revised and updated by, The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-Walton, ESPN Classic - Walton weathered injuries to win titles, Bill Walton - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [83], While broadcasting a game between the Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans, Walton talked about a speech Bob Dylan gave at MusiCares, and ESPN had prepared graphics about Dylan's career highlights. That's why I have the utmost respect for Bill Walton and that's the main reason why he was my inductee into the Hall of Fame. [22], The 197172 UCLA basketball team had a record of 300, winning its games by an average margin of more than 30 points, averaging 94.6 points to opponents' 64.3. UCLA next defeated San Francisco 8360 in the Western Regional Final to reach the Final Four. "But then I would want to play another one. I'm the luckiest guy in the world. "Coach Wooden looked at me and said, 'Walton, I used to think you were a good player until you missed that one shot,'" Walton said. Bruce was a star football player as well. And when you're in that position, it's the worst feeling in the world. Here are the top matchups and tournaments to watch in the non-conference portion of the NCAA softball season. Following surgery on his back, Walton returned to broadcasting as a part-time commentator for the Sacramento Kings for 201011 and 201112. He was named first-team All-American with Jim Chones of Marquette, Bo Lamar of the Louisiana-Lafayette, Ed Ratleff of Long Beach State, and Tom Riker of South Carolina. Walton had 28 points and 14 rebounds against Arizona State, on 13 of 18 shooting, and 9 points and 14 rebounds against San Francisco, taking only 7 shots. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 6:40AM. Research validated Walton's claim. It was a humbling honor and privilege to be on the same squad as true legends Monroe Nash, Wilbur Strong, Phil Edwards, and Bruce Menser. Do you have a sports website? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. All these guys treated melittle Billylike I was part of the team. "[72], In the men's basketball final, the United States controversially lost to the Soviet Union 5150, finishing in second place. After being selected as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA draft, Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA championship in 1977, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award that season. Bird said that if Walton felt healthy enough to play that it was good enough for him, as opposed to Lakers GM Jerry West, who was hedging his interest in Walton pending a doctor's report. Walton continued to display his dominance during the 197778 campaign, ultimately winning the NBAs MVP award after tallying 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game that season. Walton re-fractured the navicular bone in the fourth 1979 exhibition game and subsequently missed all of the 198081 and 198182 seasons, undergoing several surgeries on his injured foot. Bill Walton can talk a good game when it comes to doing color commentary on college basketball telecasts, but he played a nearly perfect one as UCLA's star center in the 1973 NCAA Tournament final. Walton is a noted fan of the Grateful Dead, as a self-described "Deadhead", and often mentions them in his broadcasts. [61], In the Celtics' 41 series win over the Atlanta Hawks with Dominique Wilkins in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, Walton averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 13 minutes. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Find out more. Career Stats 13 on USA Today's list of the greatest NCAA tournament games of all time. Walton played significantly less healthy seasons, but in those seasons, he practically guarantees your team a title as long as he has a decent supporting cast (in the mold of a Prime Shaq, Jordan, Duncan, LeBron, etc.) Period.". In 1978, following the two most impressive seasons of his young career, he suffered the first of several serious injuries; he developed chronic foot and knee problems that forced him to sit out the entire season. Look at this. He's a nationally known face, a hipster wild man, but now he's also this: He left that to David Thompson, whose N.C. State Wolfpack downed Walton in the 1974 NCAA championship, or Julius. Born: March 28, 1980 in San Diego, California us Relatives: Father Bill Walton. One new team enters after the opening weekend. They followed American basketball closely and they knew that no Walton was going to be a big deal." He was named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. 3. "[49], Walton led the NBA in both rebounds per game (14.4) and blocked shots per game (3.2) as he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game, but did not participate due to an injury. He was raised with siblings Bruce, Cathy and Andy. [7] "Bill and I couldn't quit fast enough", Bruce said. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Bill Walton led a dynasty to two national championships, and an 88-game winning streak that no men's team has yet to touch. I was never so embarrassed in my life. Bill Walton weighed 210 lbs (95 kg) when playing. He was undercut by a Washington State player and broke two bones in his spine, which remained damaged until corrective surgery in 2009. Bill Walton probably had one of the best games anybody ever had in the history of college basketball."[33]. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. College: UCLA High School: Helix in La Mesa, California All rights reserved. He had 19 points and 11 rebounds against Long Beach State. Walton tallied 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists against San Francisco. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Gonzaga, Baylor lead Andy Katz's first Power 36 rankings for the 2020-21 season, Find out which March Madness Moment was voted the greatest of all time, College basketball dictionary: 51 terms defined, How recent eventual March Madness men's champions did in their conference tournaments, 2023 Selection Sunday: Date, schedule, TV times, Marquette, Indiana leap into the top 6 of the men's college basketball Power 36 rankings, We're tracking all 32 NCAA men's basketball conference tournaments, auto bids for 2023, 2023 NCAA printable bracket, schedule for March Madness, Undefeated teams in DI college basketball, 5 stunners that rocked men's college basketball on the last Saturday before March, Arizona State's buzzer-beating 3-pointer from beyond half court shocks No. He says, 'Walton, can you play?' Bill Walton is my main man, for that reason."[66]. And Red, through the smoke, with a big, cherubic grin on his face, looked at the doctors, looked at me, and he said, 'He's fine. Viewed by many as the best-passing big man of all time, Walton was honoured as one of the NBAs 50 all-time greatest players in 1996. What a dream come true. [11], After the 198485 campaign, Walton called on two of the league's premier teams, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. After retiring from the NBA, Walton overcame stuttering and embarked on a second career as a sportscaster, working both as a studio analyst and color commentator with stints for several networks and teams. Walton was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1984. But, he made 12 of his first 13 shots and the Bruins led Notre Dame by 17 points at halftime. . Bill Walton was a great college player, maybe the best ever. "Yes", said Gloria Walton, "then when the referee wasn't looking, Bruce would give the player an elbow and let him know that the skinny guy was his kid brother. We couldn't get him out. "Maurice was so important in my life and in little Luke's life", Walton said. His listed adult playing height was 6ft 11in (2.11m); it has been reported that Walton is actually taller (7ft 2in (2.18m) or more), but does not like being categorized as a seven-footer. Before the injuries hampered his professional career, Bill Walton dominated college basketball. We got the basketball legend just days after MJ was crowned king of . Of Famer, whose career had in little Luke 's life '', Bruce.... Had in the non-conference portion of the Grateful Dead, as a part-time commentator the!, there may be some discrepancies just 468 games over 10 seasons Walton. Bruins led Notre Dame in Belmont, California and the college of Notre Dame in Belmont, all... On his back, Walton retired after the season ended in 1985 greatest NCAA tournament games of all time nine. And I could n't quit fast enough '', Bruce said all time, Walton... 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