Larry Bird shared a heartfelt statement on
Bill Walton’s passing.
The NBA lost a legendary player and personality
on Monday May 27th, 2024, as Bill Walton died
aged 71 years.
He was a two-time NBA champion who won a title
with the Boston Celtics in 1986,
passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer.
Celtics great Larry Bird was among those to share
A statement on Bill Walton’s passing.
Here’s what he wrote about his former teammate,
via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps…
"I am very sorry about my good friend, Bill Walton.
I love him as a friend and teammate.
It was a thrill for me to play with my childhood idol
and together we earned an NBA Championship in 1986.
He is one of the greatest ever to play the game.
I am sure that all my teammates are as grateful as I
am that we were able to know Bill,
he was such a joy to know, and he will be sorely missed.
My family and I extend our sincere condolences to the
Walton family."
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/larry-bird-shares-heartfelt-statement-000321247.html
Walton, among the most decorated college basketball
players of all time, led UCLA to back-to-back NCAA titles
as a sophomore and junior (1972, 1973),
culminating in a string of seven consecutive NCAA
championships won by the Bruins from 1967 through 1973.
He was a charter member of the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame
in 1984 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993,
after playing in the NBA from 1974-87.
Walton, who grew up in San Diego and attended
Helix High School,
played for legendary UCLA head coach John Wooden as the
Bruins' starting center for three seasons (1972-74).
Playing at UCLA before freshmen student-athletes could
compete on the varsity squad,
Walton starred on UCLA's freshman team in 1970-71.
Walton played on UCLA's only varsity teams to record
back-to-back perfect 30-0 seasons in 1972 and 1973,
helping the Bruins compile an 86-4 overall record in
three years.
His UCLA teams won their first 73 games,
as the Bruins had extended their winning streak to 88
consecutive games (the NCAA men's basketball record).
During his three varsity seasons,
the Bruins went 49-0 in Pauley Pavilion,
as part of a 98-game home winning streak that spanned
the 1970-71 through 1975-76 basketball seasons.
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