Hall of Famer Bill Walton, 2-time champ at UCLA and in NBA, dies

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Hall of Famer Bill Walton, 2-time champ at UCLA and in NBA, dies​

Basketball legend Bill Walton, who led the UCLA Bruins to two national titles before winning two championships during his NBA career, has died at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer. Walton died Monday while surrounded by his loved ones, his family said in a statement released by the NBA. He was the NBA's MVP in the 1977-78 season and a member of the league's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. That all followed a college career in which he was a two-time champion at UCLA and a three-time national player of the year under iconic coach John Wooden. Walton, who was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1993, was larger than life on the court, off the court and during his broadcasting career. His most famous game was the 1973 NCAA title matchup, UCLA against Memphis State, in which he shot an incredible 21-for-22 from the field and led the Bruins to another national championship.

Walton became a charter member of the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984, and his No. 32 was joined by the No. 33 of former UCLA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known in college as Lew Alcindor) as the first two men's basketball jersey numbers to be retired by the Bruins in 1990. The first overall pick of the 1974 NBA draft by the Trail Blazers, the 6-foot-11 Walton played 10 seasons in the NBA, winning championships with the Blazers (1977) and Celtics (1986). He totaled 6,215 points, 4,923 rebounds, 1,034 blocks and 1,590 assists. A two-time All-Star, he led the NBA in rebounding and blocks in 1977 and was the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 1986 -- the only player other than James Harden to have won both MVP and the Sixth Man award. Walton will always be synonymous with UCLA's dominance. UCLA went 30-0 in each of his first two seasons, and 86-4 in his career on the varsity.

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UCLA to honor late Bill Walton with tie-dye tribute on Feb. 23​

The late Bill Walton, who helped lead UCLA to consecutive national championships in 1972 and '73, will be honored during the men's home basketball game against Ohio State on Feb. 23. He died of cancer in May at age 71. Walton will be honored during a halftime ceremony and throughout the game at Pauley Pavilion, the school said Wednesday. Fans will receive a commemorative poster that celebrates Walton's life and legacy. Students will receive a tie-dyed T-shirt in a nod to Walton's love of the Grateful Dead. Walton was a three-time Academic All-American and was the starting center from 1972-74 under coach John Wooden. During his three years on the varsity team, the Bruins were 86-4 overall, including perfect 30-0 seasons in 1972 and '73.

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