Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Bill Walton has reportedly passed away at age 71 after a long battle with cancer, reports Reuters’ Daniel Trotta. Walton, who won his second of two titles with the Celtics in 1986, and won 1977 NBA Finals MVP in his other title run with the Portland Trail Blazers that year along with many other accolades.
Injuries likely robbed the UCLA star of even more honors over the years, with Walton missing four NBA seasons in total before retiring from the game as a player. He also played for the Los Angeles (and San Diego, before they moved) Clippers before his stint in Boston.
“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver of Walton’s extraordinary basketball career, and broadcasting career after it, saying, “what I will remember most about him was his zest for life.”
NBA legends on the end of the Larry Bird era with the Boston Celtics https://t.co/wHS24YoPS0 pic.twitter.com/lPN4XEJkHf
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 27, 2024
Rest in peace, Bill — you will be missed.
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