Basketball legend Bill Walton, who led the UCLA Bruins to two national titles during his time as an NBA player and went on to win two more championships, has died at age 71 after a long battle with cancer.
The NBA released a statement saying Walton died on Monday surrounded by his family.
“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
He was the NBA MVP in the 1977-78 season and a member of both the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams — all of which came after his collegiate career at UCLA, where he was a two-time champion and three-time National Player of the Year under legendary coach John Wooden.
“What I remember most about him was his passion for life,” Silver said in a statement. “He was a regular presence at league events, always cheerful, smiling broadly and eager to share his wisdom and warmth. I cherished our close friendship, envied his boundless energy and respected the time he spent with everyone he met.”
“A valued member of the NBA family for 50 years, Bill will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.”
Walton originally joined ESPN and ABC in 2002 and served as the lead analyst for NBA games before moving to college basketball in 2012. He has also worked for CBS and NBC, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Sportscasters of All Time by the American Sportscasters Association in 2009.
“As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position,” Silver said. “Bill then brought his enthusiasm and love of the game to his broadcasts, entertaining generations of basketball fans with his insightful and colorful commentary.”
The 6-foot-11 Walton was the first overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1974 NBA Draft. He played 10 NBA seasons and won championships with the Blazers (1977) and Boston Celtics (1986). He averaged a double-double in his career, totaling 6,215 points (13.3 per game), 4,923 rebounds (10.5 per game), 1,034 blocks (2.2 per game) and 1,590 assists.
A two-time All-Star, he led the NBA in rebounds and blocks in 1977 and was named the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 1986.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
