Bill Walton was beloved for his one-of-a-kind zaniness

The basketball legend leaves behind quite a legacy that will be unmatched

Dec 1, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pac-12 Network analyst Bill Walton attends the NCAA basketball game between the UCLA Bruins and the Colorado Buffaloes at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

One of college basketball’s legendary names has passed at only 71. Bill Walton was unique to say the least. Extremely gifted basketball player, entertaining analyst and Grateful Dead fanatic.

I’ll never forget the first time a young man watched the California native display his basketball talents. It was my sophomore year in high school, the beginning of the basketball season for a young southpaw point guard playing for an excellent high school program back then, the Bud Lathrop-coached Raytown South Cardinals.

A bunch of guys on the team, I’m sure Bud Dog was with us, drove from the western edge of Missouri to the eastern edge to watch Walton and the UCLA Bruins take on David Thompson and the North Carolina State Wolfpack. It was a made-for-television special, with top-ranked UCLA against No. 2 NC State. A few weeks ago in this space, I wrote about the 1990 Pigskin Classic football game where the Buffs played Tennessee? In Anaheim, California?

This was the basketball version. West power meets East power. Meet us in St. Louis. The city’s sports arena was packed to the rafters, with the Ray-South Cardinals represented. The game between the Wolfpack and Bruins was agreed to by the coaches and fully-arranged by two of the most powerful men in basketball at the time– NC State athletics director Willis Casey and UCLA athletics director J.D. Morgan– both of whom served on the NCAA Competition Committee.

Earlier in the year, Casey had successfully arranged the first nationally televised game since Houston beat UCLA in the Astrodome in 1968, when the Wolfpack traveled to Maryland on Super Bowl Sunday. The game was a smashing success and the national coming out party for Thompson, who tipped in a missed shot in the final seconds for a 72-70 win at Maryland’s Cole Field House.

UCLA and NC State agreed to play the game in the middle of the country, at the same 19,200-seat St. Louis Arena where the 1973 semifinals and finals were played. (It wasn’t called the Final Four until 1978). ABC-TV agreed to televise it. A young and impressionable athlete with big dreams was mesmerized by the whole environment: Raucous crowd, excellent teams and great individual talent.
In the game, foul-trouble plagued Walton who played only 19 minutes. But UCLA won its 79th consecutive game. The amazing streak stretched to 88 games before Notre Dame snapped the Bruins unfathomable run a month later in South Bend, Indiana. Many believe the John Wooden-coached Bruins own one sports record never to be broken.

The way Walton played the game? One guy’s opinion? The Nuggets Nikola Jokic is a modern-day version: Not the fastest, strongest or most athletic but unparalleled when it comes to basketball IQ, instincts and ingenuity. Generational talents. It’s unfortunate foot injuries hampered Walton’s pro career that did include two NBA championships with Portland and Boston.

It’s well-documented how much the big fella enjoyed visiting Boulder and working Colorado Buffaloes’ games at the foot of the Flatirons. Walton was the eccentric kind of dude always welcomed in Boulder. Never a dull moment.

Ironically, Walton’s life concludes almost simultaneously to the funeral of the Pac 12 Conference. Walton loved to proclaim it was the “Conference of Champions,” whenever opportunity presented itself during the telecasts he worked. I enjoyed his commentary. It was frank, funny and often, rather funky. The red-headed man’s mind whirred at RPM’s most never reach.

“Bill went out of his way to make you feel good, to make you smile.”

-Dan Patrick pays tribute to his friend Bill Walton pic.twitter.com/6BpVmLN3bI

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 28, 2024

From a childhood admiration of a great basketball player to a fellow sports broadcaster enjoying Walton’s quirky style, your scribe followed the center’s exploits for half a century. There was a lot poured into his seven decades on this planet

America has lost a sports legend. A now 66-year-old writer of this musing has been reminded, we ain’t getting any younger.

It makes me think of Buffs Hall of Fame football coach Bill McCartney. My good buddy is still fighting the good fight against Alzheimer’s and loves to bark, “Ain’t nobody getting out of here alive. One out of one die!”

Amen buddy. Walton died too soon. The world’s gonna miss his zaniness.