(FeaturedHeadlines.com) Two-time NBA champion basketball legend Bill Walton died after battling cancer at the age of 71.
Walton rose to fame after being coached by John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and was part of the team that won 88 games on the trot.
By this time, he was already being discussed as the up-and-coming basketball sensation, which urged the Portland Trail Blazers to sign him as the first overall pick of the 1974 NBA season.
He led the Blazers to NBA victory in 1977 and also won the Most Valuable Player award of the finals. In 1988, he won the NBA championship for the second time with the Boston Celtics.
After his storied career, Walton started working as a basketball commentator and broadcaster with top media outlets, including CBS and ESPN.
His brilliant game analysis earned him a spot on the American Sportscasters Association’s list of the 50 best sports broadcasters of all time back in 2009.
As the news of his death circulated, people from various fields paid tribute to the memories he had given over the years.
Three-time NBA winner Julius Erving expressed his condolences on Walton’s passing, stating that playing against him was nothing short of a blessing.
Former basketball player Magic Johnson recalled one of his impressive performances at UCLA and called him the smartest basketball player ever to play the game. Johnson also sent his condolences to Walton’s wife and four children, all of whom are also basketball players.
Former president Barack Obama called Walton a selfless player who blessed the game with his exceptional tactical plays.
Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, also praised Walton’s heroics as both a player and a broadcaster. According to Silver, Walton truly redefined the center position in basketball with his skills, which also helped him reach the Hall of Fame.
Walton’s legendary career was cut short by foot injuries, which forced him to take unplanned breaks over the years.
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