Tag: Bill Walton

Padres honor San Diego legend Bill Walton

Padres pay tribute to Bill Walton.

One thing about Bill Walton was his uncanny connection and relationship to the City of San Diego. After his passing on Memorial Day, many people came to show remembrance and pay tribute to the legend.

Walton’s connection with San Diego is a long one. He was born in La Mesa, went to Helix High School, and lived the last years of his life in San Diego. He also played for the San Diego Clippers, and his relationship with the city is a special one.

As a result, the San Diego Padres honored Walton with a tribute prior to the game on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.

Legendary play-by-play man Ted Leitner also chimed in with special praise about Walton:

It was a special moment for a special person who was a legend in so many regards, and the tributes for Bill Walton might be happening for quite a while.

Pearl Jam pays tribute to Bill Walton in Seattle

A Pearl Jam tribute to Bill Walton.

The legacy of Bill Walton is something that will be remembered forever by many. And, it isn’t just sports fans, either.

Bill Walton’s connection to The Grateful Dead is something that went viral after the news of his passing came out. Of course, the basketball community mourned the loss of a legendary player and broadcaster.

But, Pearl Jam paid special tribute to Bill Walton during a show in Seattle just after Walton’s passing.

The played “Man of the Hour” and displayed Walton’s picture on the screen after the song, sparking a huge round of applause from the audience.

Here is the video:

Eddie Vedder, the singer of Pearl Jam, delivered an emotional speech about Walton before the song in a touching tribute.

So, it isn’t just the sports world, but also the music community, that Bill Walton has left a lasting impact on.

Quite simply, there will never be anybody else like Bill Walton.

Bill Walton’s John Wooden quotes go viral after passing

This is something to keep forever.

The connection and relationship between UCLA legends John Wooden and Bill Walton was truly something special. After Walton passed away on Memorial Day, the community mourned the loss of a superstar in every regard.

John Wooden will always be a legend in Westwood and across the country for a lot of reasons, with his one-of-a-kind quotes still resonating in the ears and hearts of many even until this very day.

After the news of Walton’s passing, a clip surfaced on the internet of Walton talking in detail about some of Wooden’s one-liners, something that Walton admitted changed who he was as a person and a player.

Watch for yourself.

UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close also quoted the same “It’s ok to disagree. Just don’t be disagreeable” quip from Wooden, so it’s safe to say the legendary coach left an impact on many, just like Walton has done.

Martin Jarmond pens statement after Bill Walton’s passing

UCLA AD released statement on Bill Walton.

The UCLA Bruins athletic department is still processing the loss of Bruins legend Bill Walton. Both basketball coaches Mick Cronin and Cori Close delivered statements after the news came of his passing.

Athletic director Martin Jarmond also penned a lengthy statement about the UCLA legend:

“We are stunned and saddened about the news of Bill Walton’s passing. Bill represented so many of the ideals that our university holds dear and embodied multiple traits on Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. He loved being back on campus at UCLA, calling games in Pauley Pavilion, and being around our teams. We offer our deepest sympathy to his family, and we take solace in knowing that Bill made each day his masterpiece.”

The community mourned the loss of Walton, a legend on the court as a player and wearing the headset as a broadcaster. It will be worth watching to see if, or how, UCLA honors Walton for the upcoming season.

Do you know Bill Walton won a car on Wheel of Fortune?

Bill Walton on Wheel of Fortune was fun.

With the passing of Bill Walton, there has been a flood of memories and old times regarding the larger-than-life former UCLA star. One of the favorites that came out was in 1993 when Walton joined Tony Esponsito and Dick Butkus.

Esposito had control of the board and missed the letter by guessing a
“D”. Esposito called himself a “dumb dumb”. Butkus broke out in hysterics, while host Pat Sajak informed him to not laugh at other contestants.

It moved to Walton, who landed on “Car”. After, he guessed the letter “H” and got two of them. After Pat later asked him what he wanted to do next, Bill solved the puzzle, but only after asking “to win the car, right?”

“Joe Namath Wins The Super Bowl” was the answer to the puzzle, as Pat showed him the prize.

You can see the entire clip which lasts nearly two minutes here:

Walton, who was 71 years old, officially passed away on May 27th, 2024.

Cori Close remembers Bill Walton with touching tribute

Cori Close chimes in on Bill Walton’s passing.

After UCLA legend Bill Walton passed away on Monday, tributes came in full force. Perhaps the most colorful person in recent memory, Walton’s lasting impact will be remembered by many for a number of reasons.

UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close shared a video with her remembrance of Bill Walton.

“We lost a magnificent human being in Bill Walton. He’s had such an impact on the game and obviously on broadcasting…The one that stuck in my heart today…’Disagree without being disagreeable.'”

“Isn’t it ok to have a different point of view?… I am building my standards from my life and my heart differently than you…I look at Bill Walton. We probably disagree on how to call a basketball game, for instance…I think about all the ways Coach Wooden used to talk about him…Probably Coach Wooden and Bill Walton disagreed on a lot of things. But man, their love was so deep.”

The relationship between Bill Walton and John Wooden, two UCLA legends who will be remembered by basketball fans forever, left a lasting impact on the lives of many, and Close had a lot to say about it.

Mick Cronin reacts to Bill Walton’s passing

Mick Cronin’s statement on Walton’s passing.

The world lost an absolute treasure. On Memorial Day, the news came that UCLA legend Bill Walton passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Walton’s passing left a mark for many in the sports world, with his memorable moments as both a player and a broadcaster circulating across the internet. 

UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin had plenty of things to say regarding Walton after the news came out:

“On behalf of everyone with the UCLA men’s basketball program, we are deeply saddened to learn of Bill Walton’s passing. My deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones. It’s very hard to put into words what he has meant to UCLA’s program, as well as his tremendous impact on college basketball. Beyond Bill’s remarkable accomplishments as a player, it’s his relentless energy, enthusiasm for the game and unwavering candor that have been the hallmarks of his larger than life personality. As a passionate UCLA alumnus and broadcaster, he loved being around our players, hearing their stories, and sharing his wisdom and advice. For me as a coach, he was honest, kind, and always had his heart in the right place. I will miss him very much. It’s hard to imagine a season in Pauley Pavilion without him. Our athletics department, our team and this university will miss him dearly.”

It will be a tough loss for everybody, especially those at UCLA, Walton’s alma mater.

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck dedicates ECF trophy to Bill Walton

Classy gesture from Wyc.

The Boston Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals on Monday, but that was hardly the main story in basketball. The news of UCLA Bruins legend Bill Walton’s passing dominated the headlines and led to countless tributes for the NCAA and NBA Hall of Fame player.

The Celtics took down the Indiana Pacers 105-102 in a perfect four-game sweep to advance to the Finals behind a strong performance by former Bruin Jrue Holiday, who scored 17 points and added nine rebounds.

Following the win, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbek delivered an emotional dedication of the Eastern Conference Trophy to the late Walton.

“All I can think about right now is we lost a great Celtic today, Bill Walton. One of the greatest Celtics of all time, this is dedicated to Bill,” Grousbek said, choked up.

Walton was a member of the 1986 NBA Champion Celtics team, where he played 80 games and earned the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

Lakers legends pay tribute to Bill Walton after his death

A number of former and current Lakers stars reflected on the life and legend of Bill Walton after he died on Monday.

On Monday, the NBA world lost a giant figure when Bill Walton passed away at the age of 71 due to cancer.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he was a Hall of Fame center with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics. While his career was cut short by numerous foot injuries, he won NBA championships in 1977 and 1986.

Before that, he was a big part of the University of California, Los Angeles’ basketball dynasty under head coach John Wooden. While Walton was there, the team won an incredible 88 games in a row and back-to-back national titles. Those who were around back then still remember him going 21-of-22 and scoring 44 points in the 1973 national championship game against Memphis State University, which the Bruins won.

Multiple Lakers legends paid tribute to his memory, including fellow Bruins great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Magic Johnson talked about how Walton was ahead of his time with his skill set.

Walton not only had the ability to score, rebound and defend, but he was especially praised for his passing skills, both out of the low post and from the high post.

James Worthy reminisced about meeting Walton in 1982 and his relationship with the former Clipper.

Byron Scott, yet another member of those Showtime Lakers of the 1980s, sent good vibes to Walton’s survivors.

In 2016, Walton’s son Luke became the Lakers’ head coach after a stint as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors. Even though the younger Walton was fired in 2019, he coached LeBron James for one season.

James sent his best wishes to the elder Walton’s soul.

The elder Walton, of course, became a well-known broadcaster for many years after his playing career ended. While some found him annoying, he was very entertaining, and the fact he overcame a lifelong stuttering problem to be a longtime broadcaster was a major accomplishment.

The world is already a sadder place without him.

Shaq gave the perfect honor to the late Bill Walton during his moving tribute

Shaq did a wonderful job paying tribute to the late Bill Walton.

During coverage of the 2024 Western conference finals, Shaquille O’Neal delivered a very moving tribute to the late Bill Walton by honoring him as a league legend.

Walton died on Monday after a prolonged battle with cancer, and the basketball world has poured out tributes to the legend on the court and on the mic.

Outside of Mike Breen’s incredibly touching tribute to Walton, Shaq’s tribute to the fellow NBA big man resonated pretty hard on Tuesday.

After all, Walton helped pave the way for big men like Shaq to dominate in the NBA. The NBA great honored Walton by saying that “we definitely lost one of the Four Fathers of The Big Man Alliance.”

That’s pretty awesome for Shaq to recognize Walton like this, as a great recognized a great in such a meaningful way.

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