Bill Walton Biography

William Theodore Walton III, born November 5, 1952, was an American basketball player and television sportscaster who passed away on May 27, 2024. He played collegiately for the UCLA Bruins and professionally in the National Basketball Association for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. Walton gained recognition in the early 1970s as a starting center for UCLA under coach John Wooden. Standing 6 feet 11 inches tall, he received three consecutive national college player of the year awards from 1972 to 1974, leading UCLA to NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973 and achieving an 88-game winning streak. Selected first overall in the 1974 NBA draft, he led the Portland Trail Blazers to their first and only NBA championship in 1977, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. Due to ongoing health issues, Walton appeared in only 468 of 1,148 possible regular season games during his 14-year NBA career. He served as a backup center behind Robert Parish during the 1985–86 season, earning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award and helping the Boston Celtics reach the NBA Finals, where he won his second championship.