Famed UCLA and NBA basketball champion Bill Walton died Monday, according to NBA officials. He was 71 years old.
Walton, whose death came after a long battle with cancer, was a Southern California sports hero who played college basketball for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins. He was among the most decorated college basketball players of all-time, leading 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.
"On behalf of everyone with the UCLA men's basketball program, we are deeply saddened to learn of Bill Walton's passing," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "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 his 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."
Selected as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA draft, Walton then led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA championship in 1977, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. He won another NBA title in 1986 as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
"Bill Walton was truly one of a kind. As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position. His unique all-around skills made him a dominant force at UCLA and led to an NBA regular-season and Finals MVP, two NBA championships and a spot on the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated on Monday.
Walton later became an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster.
"Bill translated his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game to broadcasting, where he delivered insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans," Silver said.
An outpouring of remembrances about Walton were shared on social media Monday, including a message from former United States President Barack Obama.
Walton was born on Nov. 5, 1952, in La Mesa, where he grew up and played basketball at Helix High School. The San Diego resident is survived by his wife Lori and sons Adam, Nate, Luke and Chris, according to the NBA.
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