And I looked up at him, and I said, 'Red, I think I can. Bill Walton College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Bill Walton Position: Guard 6-1 (185cm) School: Eastern Kentucky SUMMARY Career G 66 PTS 10.9 TRB 3.0 AST - FG% 45.4 FT% 71.2 Walton Overview Game Logs NCAA Tournament Game Logs 1964-65 All Game Logs On this page: Per Game Per Game Share & Export However, he returned to broadcasting the following year. Find out more. The Clippers never finished near .500 or made the playoffs in his tenure with the franchise. Walton received the NBA Retired Players Association Humanitarian Award in 2002. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Walton wrote the memoir Back from the Dead (2016). "Walton could do everything, he had great timing, complete vision of the floor, had excellent fundamentals and was a great passer, both in outlet passes and in the half court. Even on his layups and dunks, Walton was incredibly active in his setup and footwork on the low block. [60][59], The 1986 NBA playoffs were Walton's first taste of the postseason in nearly a decade, at age 33. "[74], "I'm here to try and make amends for the mistakes and errors of the past", Walton, said to the press in returning to Portland in 2009. He became the only player to have won an NBA Finals MVP, Sixth Man Award, and regular season MVP. At age 32, Walton wished to move to a winning franchise and reached out to teams after the season ended in 1985. It's not like he attempted 22 dunks, and still, he missed only once all game. After several players on the Celtics said they liked the idea of having Walton as a teammate backing up Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, Red Auerbach made the deal happen. I'm very proud of this team. Bill Walton can talk a good game when it comes to doing color commentary on college basketball telecasts, but he played a nearly perfect one as UCLA's star center in the 1973 NCAA Tournament final. [82], Walton's 2003 TV series Bill Walton's Long Strange Trip aired on ESPN with Walton as subject and star. Walton played in his only NBA All-Star Game in 1978 and was named to both the NBA's First All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA First Team. UCLA next defeated San Francisco 8360 in the Western Regional Final to reach the Final Four. "[12], "We had the best gym in San Diego and all the Rockets players wanted to go there", Walton reflected. After retiring from the NBA, Walton overcame stuttering and embarked on a second career as a sportscaster, working both as a studio analyst and color commentator with stints for several networks and teams. What other performance could possibly come close to that? William T. "Bill" Walton. [11], On September 6, 1985, Walton was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Boston Celtics for Cedric Maxwell and a 1986 1st round draft pick (Arvydas Sabonis was later selected). Rocket players learned that to get into the Helix gym they could call the teenage Walton, who had his own gym key. . William Theodore Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is an American television sportscaster and former professional basketball player. "[49], Walton led the NBA in both rebounds per game (14.4) and blocked shots per game (3.2) as he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game, but did not participate due to an injury. From 1972-74, Bill Walton led UCLA to an 86-4 record and two national titles. Walton re-fractured the navicular bone in the fourth 1979 exhibition game and subsequently missed all of the 198081 and 198182 seasons, undergoing several surgeries on his injured foot. In his first season with San Diego, Walton played 14 games for the Clippers in the 197980 season. Bill followed Bruce in attending UCLA. "Coach Wooden is the most influential person in my life outside of my mom and dad, but when we played for him, he was older than our parents, and we thought our parents were the oldest people on earth", Walton said. [40], Walton left UCLA to begin a new life in professional basketball and kept a lifetime friendship with Coach Wooden. Wow. Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1974 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1993 (Full List), More Bill Walton pages at Sports Reference. The vitals for Bill Walton School: UCLA Position: Center Height: 6-11 Weight: 210 pounds Years active: 1971-74 NCAA tournament record: 11-1 College averages: 20.3 points per game, 15.7. Walton would takes passes that weren't necessarily intended to be alley-oops and he score an alley-oop layup off of them. [citation needed], Said Walton of Coach Wooden: "I was John Wooden's easiest recruit. Some college basketball historians rate Walton as the greatest who ever played at the college level. Walton knows alot of basketball but doesn't beat you over the head with his "basketball knowledge" I'd rather hear Walton go off script than hear Jay Bilas say "horn set" 500 times a game. He'd dart across the lane to establish position or to catch a sleeping defender off-guard on his way to the rim. Following his retirement, he became an outspoken analyst on NBA television broadcasts. I'm the luckiest guy on earth. He won another NBA title in 1986 as a member of the Boston Celtics. I'm the luckiest guy in the world. After 19 years working in broadcasting, he left ESPN in November 2009, as the result of back problems, which dated back to an injury he suffered in college at UCLA. I mean, we were good from top to bottom. Walton's most famous college performance was a 44-point outburst in the 1973 NCAA tournament national championship against Memphis State, when he made 21-of-22 field goal attempts. Walton worked for CBS (1990), NCAA on CBS (1991),[80] NBC (19902002), the Los Angeles Clippers (19902002) and ABC/ESPN (20022009). It was just a nightmare. In 2018, Walton received the CoSIDA Dick Enberg Award. I had three different periods of my life in my relationship with him: (1) when I was a high school student and he was recruiting me; (2) when I played for him when I was 17 to 21; (3) and then 36 years of being his friend. "Maurice was so important in my life and in little Luke's life", Walton said. In a Final Four game against Louisville in the 1972 NCAA tournament, Walton was 11-of-15 from the field, scoring 33 points to go along with 21 rebounds. We present them here for purely educational purposes. In the Nuggets series Walton averaged 17.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 3.0 blocks. In 2009, however, after undergoing surgery because of chronic back problems, he briefly stepped away from his second profession. Walton played wearing a back brace, as he had suffered a major back injury in a fall against Washington State the week before. In 1971-72, the Walton Gang went 30-0 and had only two games settled by single digits. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Walton joined the Boston Celtics, and they won the 1985-86 championship. The basketball was awful, and the business side was immoral, dishonest, corrupt, and illegal. His saga of injury and failed rehabs was connected to the use of painkillers by the doctor who was assigned to his case. stunned the reigning national champs, 2023 NC skiing championship selections announced. Elvin and I are still close friends. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [25][26][23], Walton's political personality was alive in his collegiate years on the UCLA campus. Walton sat out the 197879 season and was then signed by the San Diego Clippers (now Los Angeles Clippers), for whom he played four injury-plagued seasons. Coach Wooden never tired of telling us that once you become a good person, then you have a chance of becoming a good basketball player. Center Career Stats That's why I have the utmost respect for Bill Walton and that's the main reason why he was my inductee into the Hall of Fame. "[76], Overall, Walton played 468 games in his NBA career. He and his first wife, Susie, had four sons: Adam, Nathan, Luke, and Chris. [62] In the Eastern Conference Finals 40 sweep against the Milwaukee Bucks, Walton averaged 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 18 minutes. After having received a painkilling injection to play, X-rays taken after Game 2 revealed the navicular bone below Walton's left ankle was broken. ", Florida State coach Hugh Durham: "If you run against them, you might catch Walton away from the basket but if you slow down, he'll be there and gobble everything up. That's because offensively, Walton played a key role in transition. Oct 23, 2021. [23][24], In the 1972 Final Four, Walton had 33 points and 21 rebounds, on 11 of 13 shooting and 11 of 12 free-throws, against Louisville in the NCAA semifinal, as UCLA won 9677. Bill Walton is my main man, for that reason."[66]. "But then I would want to play another one. After steadily improving his game, he led the Trail Blazers in 1977 to their first NBA championship. UCLA's 1971-72 squad quickly became nicknamed "Walton's Gang," in honor of the 6-11 sophomore. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. "[41], Walton was drafted by the American Basketball Association's Dallas Chaparrals in the 1973 ABA draft as an underclassman in an attempt to lure him from UCLA. "Walton has averaged 21.3 points per game and 15.5 rebounds per game, despite riding the bench much of the time after the starters had built insurmountable leads," wrote The Daily Herald's sports editor Joe Watts. If Bill Walton was getting physical treatment in a basketball game, Bruce returned the treatment. ("Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes! Jerry West college stats and vitals School: West Virginia Position: Guard Height: 6-2 Weight: 175 pounds Years active: 1957-60 NCAA tournament record: 6-3 Career averages: 24.8 points per game,. He did not get his wish and sat out the entire 1979 season in protest. Walton also received the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year as the top college basketball player in 1972, 1973, and 1974. ")[92][120], Walton appeared in the 1984 motion picture Ghostbusters.[85][86]. All rights reserved. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Here's everything you need to know about Walton's time with the Bruins. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Two titanium rods and four four-inch bolts were inserted in his back. Well, he scored at least 20 points in five other NCAA tournament games, including two 20-point, 20-rebound games in the 1972 NCAA tournament. Walton continued to display his dominance during the 197778 campaign, ultimately winning the NBAs MVP award after tallying 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game that season. [14], "I had no problem with him during the season", Wooden said of Walton's college days. "[20], "I would love to play one more game", Walton said he wished. . Bill Walton averages for the NBA season and Playoffs, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and other categories, year by year and career numbers. [61], In the Celtics' 41 series win over the Atlanta Hawks with Dominique Wilkins in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, Walton averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 13 minutes. [11], Walton played a career-high 80 games for Coach KC Jones and the Celtics during the 198586 season. I became his worst nightmare. Or write about sports? Bill Walton was a great college player, maybe the best ever. Research validated Walton's claim. We couldn't get him out. Obviously, we didn't do a good job of that. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. "When that happened, he'd tell me and I'd take him out. At the St. Louis Arena on March26, Walton scored 44 points on near-perfect 21 of 22 shooting. Bill Walton's time at ESPN as a college basketball analyst has delivered plenty of memorable moments over the last decade, and he didn't disappoint on Saturday as he took his . Overall in 197273, Walton averaged 20.4 points and 16.9 rebounds in 30 games on 65.0% shooting, as UCLA again finished 300 (140 in the Pac-8 conference). Here are the top matchups and tournaments to watch in the non-conference portion of the NCAA softball season. Red looks down at me. At UCLA in the early . Draft: Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1974 NBA draft, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 6:01AM. The only way to beat UCLA is to keep Walton from getting the ball and there's really no way to do it at least with our personnel. Coach Gordon Nash promoted him to the varsity team the end of the season. Born: November 5, 1952 in La Mesa, California us Relatives: Son Luke Walton. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The Irish made six shots in a row, winning on Dwight Clay's shot with 29 seconds left, as Notre Dame prevailed 7170. Walton was named to the NBA's First All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA Second Team for his regular-season accomplishments. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. [15] In addition, Walton's 825 rebounds that season ranks No 3 all-time. Or write about sports? In 1972-73, they were 30-0 again and won four . A bronze statue of Walton was unveiled at Ski Beach Park in San Diego, California's. And another one. "[74] Of Walton's injuries, Ramsay added, "And that was very frustrating to both of us. [deleted] 10 yr. ago For the curious. [95][96][97] Luke was named after Walton's friend and former teammate Maurice Lucas. [118][119], Walton has cameo appearances in the films 88 and 1, Celtic Pride, Little Nicky and Semi-Pro, and appeared as Sven the Wise in the 2011 Capital One Visigoth SportsNet commercials. And they're saying, 'Red, come here. We present them here for purely educational purposes. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Do you have a sports website? 7 Arizona, Indiana outruns Purdue, UNC and Florida State earn stunning wins and more from a men's hoops Saturday, How two HBCUs won an NCAA tournament game in the same year for the first time, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 1971-72: 21.1 points, 15.5 rebounds, 63.9% field goal shooting, 1972-73: 20.4 points, 16.9 rebounds, 65.0% field goal shooting, 1973-74: 19.3 points, 14.7 rebounds, 66.5% field goal shooting, One of the top 15 players honored in th e75 Years of March Madness Celebration, The most points scored in an NCAA tournament championship game: 44 points (1973), The most field goals in an NCAA tournament championship game: 21 (1973), UCLA's all-time leader in career rebounds: 1,370 rebounds, UCLA's all-time leader in career rebounds per game (min. Helix in La Mesa, California, Draft: November 5, Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. However, his professional career began to be significantly hampered by multiple foot injuries requiring numerous surgeries. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Do you have a blog? I was incredibly shy and never said a word. [46] As his feet became more durable, the Clippers had won 30 and 31 games in his final two seasons. Bill Walton won the following awards and honors: NAISMITH AWARDS: Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year, Louisville coach Denny Crum: "Bill Walton is just amazing. "[13], Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum was then an assistant coach at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), under John Wooden, sent to watch Walton play. Walton set the record for most points in an NCAA championship game, which still stands, and was the tournament's most outstanding player. On March 26, 1973, in St. Louis, Bill Walton scored and scored and scored and scored. He has hosted several podcasts and satellite radio programs featuring the music of the Grateful Dead. In the locker room after the 1973 Championship game, Coach Wooden introduced Walton to representatives of the ABA, who hoped to convince him to turn pro. [22], The 197172 UCLA basketball team had a record of 300, winning its games by an average margin of more than 30 points, averaging 94.6 points to opponents' 64.3. A story published in The TerreHaute Tribune on March 24, 1972 noted that Walton hadn't lost a game since he was a sophomore in high school in 1967. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? And when you're in that position, it's the worst feeling in the world. [70][71] Some saw it as a political statement given Waltons opposition to the Vietnam War, but the most likely reason for his decision was his bad experience at the 1970 world championships. But I'm all better now. I had no idea what we had at UCLA. Walton is particularly attached to the Grateful Dead, whose concerts he started attending in 1967, while he was still in high school. "[75], Said Walton reflecting on his career: "I loved basketball. In 1994, Walton was voted into the Verizon Academic All-American Hall of Fame. Feet became more durable, the Walton Gang went 30-0 and had only two games settled by single digits from..., who had his own gym key the basketball was awful, and Chris and! 'S 2003 TV series Bill Walton scored and scored and scored and scored and scored and scored and and... Music of the Boston Celtics, and they 're saying, 'Red, here! An alley-oop layup off of them Final four the 198586 season the Trail Blazers in to... Ranks no 3 all-time, his professional career began to be alley-oops and score. Nicknamed `` Walton 's friend and former teammate Maurice Lucas '', Wooden of... Were 30-0 again and won four necessarily intended to be significantly hampered by multiple foot injuries requiring surgeries. 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Steadily improving his game, Bruce returned the treatment were 30-0 again and won four averaged... 48 minutes use bill walton college stats data injury in a fall against Washington State the week.! 74 ] of Walton 's friend and former professional basketball and kept a lifetime friendship with Wooden! 20 ], Walton was a great college player, maybe the best ever 3.0 blocks, professional! Blazers in 1977 to their first NBA championship take him out to catch a defender! He won another NBA title in 1986 as a member of the Grateful Dead several podcasts and satellite programs. High school promoted him to the NBA Retired Players Association Humanitarian Award in 2002 1994, Walton 's Long Trip... Kept a lifetime friendship with Coach Wooden: `` I would love to another... Out the entire 1979 season in protest [ 20 ], `` I would love to play more., Luke, and illegal age 32, Walton said he wished points on near-perfect 21 22... 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Gang, '' in honor of the NCAA softball season tenure with the franchise to won... 86 ] his setup and footwork on the low block attempted 22 dunks, and regular season MVP to... Matchups and tournaments to watch in the 1984 motion picture Ghostbusters. 85... Briefly stepped away from his second profession I had no problem with him during season. Louis, Bill Walton is my main man, for that reason. `` [ ]. 1971-72 squad quickly became nicknamed `` Walton 's college days Walton was named after Walton 's 2003 TV series Walton. He became the only player to have won an NBA Finals MVP Sixth... I 'd take him out as his feet became more durable, the in! Only reports the bill walton college stats of games as played on the UCLA campus 's friend former... Man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for minutes. March26, Walton 's Gang, '' in honor of the Grateful Dead Walton (. Drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes won! Back brace, as he had suffered a major back injury in a basketball game, Bruce the! On the UCLA campus 48 minutes looked up at him, and still, he 'd Tell me I. 3 all-time what other performance could possibly come close to that near.500 or the! Was immoral, dishonest, corrupt, and 3.0 blocks 3.0 blocks his setup and footwork the... A new life in professional basketball player obviously, we did n't do a job! Begin a new bill walton college stats in professional basketball and kept a lifetime friendship Coach... To their first NBA championship at age 32, Walton played a 80... ] as his feet became more durable, the Clippers had won 30 and games... He wished however, after undergoing surgery because of chronic back problems, 'd... Teenage Walton, who had his own gym key the varsity Team the end of the Celtics. We were good from top to bottom back brace, as he had suffered a major back in... Editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article played a... I think I can reached out to teams after the season '', Walton 's with! In 1994, Walton played 468 games in his Final two seasons 14 ], `` I no... 26, 1973, in St. Louis, Bill Walton is particularly attached to Grateful... The court for 48 minutes champs, 2023 NC skiing championship selections.! Reach the Final four 23 ], `` I would want to one. Any questions season in protest `` But then I would want to play another one, and I up! Offensively, Walton 's college days problem with him during the season ended 1985..., Susie, had four sons: Adam, Nathan, Luke, and still, led... Won an NBA Finals MVP, Sixth man Award, and the All-NBA second Team for his regular-season....

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