The Los Angeles Lakers might be in the midst of a pivotal summer filled with crucial decisions to make, but they and the rest of the basketball world took a moment to honor NBA legend Bill Walton.
News broke that Walton had passed away due to cancer, sending shockwaves throughout the league. Almost immediately after Walton’s death was announced, Lakers legends like Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar and others paid tribute to the legendary center.
In a history rich with players with big personalities, there was no one quite like Walton, who had a certain zest for life and was often waxing poetically about basketball and other topics that interested him. Walton was a beloved figure among NBA fans because of his authentic enthusiasm and excitement for the sport and will be dearly missed.
LeBron James is a student of the game and understands what Walton meant to basketball and thus paid his own small tribute after the Portland Trail Blazers posted a heartfelt video of him:
REST IN PARADISE BIG RED ❤️🙏🏾🫡 https://t.co/yekD9AGdJl
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 29, 2024
Walton earned the nickname “Big Red” because of his imposing 6’11” frame and red hair during his playing days, making him hard to miss on the court. Walton had quite the basketball career, first leading UCLA to back-to-back national championships in 1972 and 1973 before Portland took him first overall in the 1974 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, injuries started to pile up for Walton, who was chronically hurt during his first two seasons in the league. Eventually, Walton was healthy enough to lead Portland the 1977 NBA Finals when they beat the Philadelphia 76ers who were favored. Walton took home Finals MVP honors for his strong series.
After disagreements over player treatment with the Trail Blazers, Walton signed with the San Diego Clippers though he once again experienced injury issues that limited him to just 160 games. He ended his playing career with the Boston Celtics where he helped lead the team to the 1986 NBA Championship and won Sixth Man of the Year honors in the process.
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