The UCLANorth Carolina State game was No. ("Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes! Walton's only four losses came in his senior year (Notre Dame, Oregon State, Oregon and then NC State in the NCAA tournament). 7 Arizona, Indiana outruns Purdue, UNC and Florida State earn stunning wins and more from a men's hoops Saturday, How two HBCUs won an NCAA tournament game in the same year for the first time, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 1971-72: 21.1 points, 15.5 rebounds, 63.9% field goal shooting, 1972-73: 20.4 points, 16.9 rebounds, 65.0% field goal shooting, 1973-74: 19.3 points, 14.7 rebounds, 66.5% field goal shooting, One of the top 15 players honored in th e75 Years of March Madness Celebration, The most points scored in an NCAA tournament championship game: 44 points (1973), The most field goals in an NCAA tournament championship game: 21 (1973), UCLA's all-time leader in career rebounds: 1,370 rebounds, UCLA's all-time leader in career rebounds per game (min. Overall in 197273, Walton averaged 20.4 points and 16.9 rebounds in 30 games on 65.0% shooting, as UCLA again finished 300 (140 in the Pac-8 conference). He left that to David Thompson, whose N.C. State Wolfpack downed Walton in the 1974 NCAA championship, or Julius. [25][26], In his 87 career games at UCLA, Walton shot 65.1% from the field, averaging 20.3 points, 15.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [11], On September 6, 1985, Walton was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Boston Celtics for Cedric Maxwell and a 1986 1st round draft pick (Arvydas Sabonis was later selected). "[10], While Walton was in high school in 1967, the NBA expansion San Diego Rockets came to town. Walton also received the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year as the top college basketball player in 1972, 1973, and 1974. "[98], Chris Walton played for San Diego State. [99][100], Nate Walton played basketball at Princeton. And when you're in that position, it's the worst feeling in the world. The UCLA streak contributed to a personal winning streak that lasted almost five years, in which Walton's high school, UCLA freshman (freshmen were ineligible for the varsity at that time) and UCLA varsity teams did not lose a game from the middle of his junior year of high school to the middle of his senior year in college. He never talked about strategy, statistics or plays, but rather about people and character. Having played just 468 games over 10 seasons, Walton retired after the 198687 campaign. [82], Walton's 2003 TV series Bill Walton's Long Strange Trip aired on ESPN with Walton as subject and star. Ghostbusters was filmed in 1984 and Pasch questioned Walton about his claim throughout the game as to the specifics of his appearance and character, but Walton refused to provide more details. Join our linker program. At UCLA in the early . He rung up 2,402 points over his collegiate career and was selected as an All-American three times. 2 min read. Center Bill Walton played 10 seasons for 3 teams. [43], Walton's first two seasons in Portland were marred by chronic foot injuries. "[35][22], A week later, the Bruins beat the Fighting Irish 9475 at home. Do you have a sports website? USA forward James Forbes told ESPN as part of a SportsCentury documentary, "If [Walton] plays, all of this becomes academic. After appearing in just 14 games in his first year with San Diego, Walton sat out the entire 198081 and 198182 seasons because of more foot problems. He has been highly successful in the oil business. After his retirement as a player, Walton has become a successful and controversial basketball color commentator. [50][46], In the 1977 postseason, Walton led #3 seed Portland to series victories over the Chicago Bulls with Artis Gilmore (21) and the Denver Nuggets with Dan Issel (42). Data Provided By He originally joined ESPN in 2002 as a lead analyst for ESPN and ABC's NBA coverage. [46], Walton described doctors looking at his X-rays at the hospital after he arrived in Boston: "And then Red, he bursts in through the double doors and he's smoking his cigar in the hospital, and he walks in and says, 'Who are you guys and what are you doing with my player?' Javascript is required for the selection of a player. I looked up at him with the sad, soft eyes of a young man who just wanted one more chance. [1][2], Walton's early career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) was very successful, winning the 1978 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and an NBA championship with the Portland Trail Blazers, for which he was also named Finals MVP. [23], In the 25-team 1972 NCAA tournament, UCLA defeated Weber State 9058. Luke Walton. Walton averaged 7.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 19 minutes, and finished with a career-high 56.2 field goal percentage. His high arch, which made the foot bones susceptible to breaking, was lowered to relieve the stress on the bones. In 1994, Walton was voted into the Verizon Academic All-American Hall of Fame. [8][9], "When those opposing teams would try to get physical with me, Bruce would do whatever it took to protect me", Walton recalled. And I was going to go until I couldn't go anymore. 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. All rights reserved. He's a nationally known face, a hipster wild man, but now he's also this: Providing a reliable backup to Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, and playing alongside Larry Bird, Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson, Walton received the 1986 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award en route to the NBA championship. Walton was named the NCAA player of the year in three consecutive seasons (197274). Let's go. In 2015, he made a visit to the Ken Kesey Collection while on a stop at the University of Oregon. "[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. Walton led UCLA in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage for three consecutive years: No sophomore, junior or senior in UCLA history has averaged more rebounds per game, respectively, than when Walton was a sophomore, junior and senior. The team leader on defense, Walton was a superb rebounder and outlet passer to start the fast break. Walton averaged 29 points and 25 rebounds, as Helix finished 330 in his senior season. Walton was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of both tournaments and established an NCAA tournament career record for field goal percentage at 68.6 percent (109 of 159 field goals) from 1972 to 1974. "[13], Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum was then an assistant coach at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), under John Wooden, sent to watch Walton play. But to win, we also felt we had to control Walton. His saga of injury and failed rehabs was connected to the use of painkillers by the doctor who was assigned to his case. The Trail Blazers with Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, and LaRue Martin finished 3844 under player/coach Lenny Wilkens. He only played in ten games during the season. He missed three games. "But then I would want to play another one. Draft: Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1974 NBA draft, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 6:01AM. But that led to extreme efficiency. Walton, who missed a 12-foot shot off an inbounds pass to win the game as time expired, finished with 24 points and nine rebounds. With Walton playing alongside Henry Bibby, Larry Farmer, Wilkes, Lee, and Swen Nater, UCLA finished 140 in the Pac 8 Conference. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Walton spent the 198788 season on the Celtics' injured list. Walton's injuries and surgeries limited his career, and counting his 19781979 year-long holdout, Walton played in 44% of the regular season games in his 13-year career. We present them here for purely educational purposes. At age 32, Walton wished to move to a winning franchise and reached out to teams after the season ended in 1985. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. Bill followed Bruce in attending UCLA. Walton wrote the memoir Back from the Dead (2016). Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He says, 'Walton, can you play?' [35] Later in the season, UCLA dropped consecutive games in consecutive days at Oregon and Oregon State,[36] nicknamed "the Lost Weekend". I never spoke to anybody. [115], His memoir, Back from the Dead: Searching for the Sound, Shining the Light and Throwing It Down, was released by Simon and Schuster in March 2016. Walton typically was paired with Steve "Snapper" Jones for national NBA games because he and Jones had a point-counterpoint banter during games. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. "Helix is where it all began. Bill Walton averaged 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Bill Walton weighed 210 lbs (95 kg) when playing. "We were able to go right through the press." I'll never be able to wash that off, and I carry it with me forever. The Bruins averaged winning by over 20 points, averaging 81.3 points to their opponents' 60.1. [citation needed] Walton has said repeatedly in his broadcasts that he is just as much to blame for taking the medication as the doctor was for giving it to him. It's true that Bill's game, even when he was healthy, was never about flash. [15] In addition, Walton's 825 rebounds that season ranks No 3 all-time. 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. ", Bartow, after the 1973 national championship game: "Walton Walton Walton We couldn't contain Walton. They defeated Long Beach State and coach Jerry Tarkanian in the Western Regional final 7357 to reach the Final Four. "[76], Overall, Walton played 468 games in his NBA career. "He would simply get too tired", recalled Nash. [22], Walton is a fan of the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young, Phish, and Bob Dylan. Then I joined the NBA. A disgrace to the game of basketball, a disgrace to sport. All rights reserved. [deleted] 10 yr. ago For the curious. We worked to push him out farther. Do you have a blog? In July 2012, ESPN and the Pac-12 Network announced that Walton would return to full-time broadcasting as a game analyst for Pac-12 conference basketball coverage. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. [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. "[41], Walton was drafted by the American Basketball Association's Dallas Chaparrals in the 1973 ABA draft as an underclassman in an attempt to lure him from UCLA. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Walton received the NBA Retired Players Association Humanitarian Award in 2002. He is also mentioned by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980 comedy Airplane! Playing with four personal fouls, Walton fell hard to the floor on a play and injured his left knee and ankle. Walton joined the Boston Celtics, and they won the 1985-86 championship. Professional Life of Bill Walton. Walton won 1 MVP Award, was selected to play in 2 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993. What other performance could possibly come close to that? A story published in The TerreHaute Tribune on March 24, 1972 noted that Walton hadn't lost a game since he was a sophomore in high school in 1967. [16] His 25.0 rebounds per game in a season ranks No. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He is big and strong and wirey. Walton is particularly attached to the Grateful Dead, whose concerts he started attending in 1967, while he was still in high school. I'm lying on the table there in the doctors examining room. "[10], Walton's struggle with injury and pain began while at Helix High School, where he broke an ankle, a leg, several bones in his feet, and underwent knee surgery. "Walton could do everything, he had great timing, complete vision of the floor, had excellent fundamentals and was a great passer, both in outlet passes and in the half court. Thank you Boston Celtics. 2x NCAA CHAMPION . Bill Walton Returns to ESPN College Basketball Airwaves Having starred at UCLA as a player, Bill Walton is synonymous with being on the call for games involving Pac-12 Conference teams. He averaged 17.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 4.3 blocks in the first round series against the Bulls. ")[92][120], Walton appeared in the 1984 motion picture Ghostbusters.[85][86]. Walton was named the 1972 NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player. Rocket players learned that to get into the Helix gym they could call the teenage Walton, who had his own gym key. I ground my feet up into dust. Other than that, it was all fine. Staying relatively healthy, Walton became an integral component of an already talented Celtics team and, in a reserve role, helped Boston win the NBA title in 1986. [25][26], UCLA again finished 300 overall and 140 in the Pac-8 conference in 197273. Thank you Larry Bird. College College Basketball Almost Perfect SI Staff Mar 2, 2013 1:10 Almost Perfect UCLA center Bill Walton was nearly perfect in the 1973 NCAA men's national championship game,. To a winning franchise and reached out to teams after the 1973 national championship game ``. 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