The NBA released a statement Monday announcing the passing of NBA legend Bill Walton. Walton had been battling cancer, according to the release.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/fdlty5X3F5
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 27, 2024
While Walton never played for the Kings during his Hall Of Fame career, he still had ties to the Kings. Walton was a commentator for national broadcasts for years, but also would serve as color commentator for Kings broadcast over the years, giving Jerry Reynolds a night off from time to time. This is where Walton famously declared “I want a 12-inch from De’Marcus Cousins”, a hilarious quote that doesn’t even crack the top 10 of funny things Walton uttered on television.
Walton also gave us the great joy of him pounding a drum in Arco Arena while wearing a Sacramento Kings Grateful Dead shirt.
Walton is also the father of former Kings head coach Luke Walton. Our thoughts and condolences are with Luke and the rest of Bill’s family.
This is a loss for the entire NBA community, as Bill Walton was a tremendous character and ambassador for the game. He accomplished so much as a professional and as a person, and he enjoyed the hell out of his life. We should all be so lucky.
Rest in peace, big fella.
RIP Walton! And Fuck Cancer!
RIP to an NBA legend and by all accounts, a great human being.
Walton called a lot of the King’s playoff games during those glory years in the early 2000’s. I’ll always remember his catchphrase “Throw it down big man, throw it down”!
Excellent player, unique human being.
RIP.
This hits me hard. I will have a year after my prostatectomy in a few weeks. So far I have no detectable cancer.
This is great, good luck!
Thank you.
RIP, big fella. You made the NBA and the world a more interesting and fun place.
This is one of the things that the internet does well-
Reading the stories, seeing the clips and tributes to Bill Walton has been both melancholy and marvelous today.
There is much to honor Big Red. His historic NCAA career with John Wooden (22-24 in a Finals game!) his majestic 1977 Blazers championship team, his awful foot injuries, his return as a super 6 for Boston, His overcoming his speech impediment to be a zany adorable and annoying broadcaster. Dead Head.
A joyful soul, he will be missed.
21-22 FG, my error.
Only player to get MVP, Finals MVP amd 6MoY
I loved Bill Walton as a player and commentator. Actually got to meet him in person by chance when I happened to fly on the same plane as the Celtics on their opening season game against the Nets back in 1985.
The line I remember the most from him was when he was color-commentating a Kings game when the Kings had Quincy Douby (remember him?!). Walton said something to the effect of, ‘With a name like Douby, who needs a reliable jump shot!’
The man had more character in his pinky finger than most people have in there entire body. RIP.
I should know more about this man, but I simply don’t, aside from knowing his name and his voice. He reminded me of Howard Cosell, about whom I also knew next to nothing.
I wish that he rest in peace and that his family feel some relief and passage of pain in his moving on.
“Kings games in Sacramento are a raucous, joyous, celebration of life.” That was one of my favorite on air lines of his during the glory days. Also, “Peja Stojakavic at the free throw line is like violins…it’s like Mozart.”
RIP
“He accomplished so much as a professional and as a person, and he enjoyed the hell out of his life. We should all be so lucky.”
Well said.
RIP
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