legendary UCLA Bill Walton dies at 71

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of legendary UCLA basketball player and NBA Hall of Famer, Bill Walton, at the age of 71. Walton was a towering figure in the world of basketball, known for his exceptional skill on the court and his larger-than-life personality off it.

Walton's time at UCLA in the early 1970s is still remembered as one of the greatest eras in college basketball history. He led the Bruins to two consecutive national championships and was a three-time All-American during his collegiate career. His dominance on the court helped solidify UCLA's reputation as a powerhouse in college basketball.

He was, without argument, one of the two greatest players in college basketball history -- along with Kareem Abdul Jabbar, known as Lew Alcindor during his college days -- and remains so to this day.

Walton was the most complete center in the game: scoring, rebounding, blocking shots, passing, outlet passing and running the floor. No center was as complete, and only Kareem could match Walton's record as a winner and champion. In three seasons at UCLA playing for the legendary John Wooden, Walton's teams were undefeated national champions twice, reached the Final Four three times and compiled an 86-4 record. Walton was a three-time national player of the year and first-team All-American and was recognized as the top amateur athlete in the nation. I remember my coaches telling me that Walton was the greatest center to play the game.

In the years following his NBA career, Walton turned to sports broadcasting and was involved with multiple charitable and philanthropic organizations, clinics, and camps. He served as both a studio analyst and color commentator. More recently, he worked courtside as a color commentator for ESPN and Pac-12 Network college basketball broadcasts. He routinely served on broadcast crews in Pauley Pavilion, in addition to multiple other Pac-12 basketball venues.

Walton started his sports broadcasting career in 1990 as an analyst for the Prime Ticket Network. In addition, he worked for CBS Sports in the early 1990s and later for NBC, including coverage of the Olympic Games in 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney). He joined ESPN and ABC as an NBA analyst in 2002.

Walton is survived by his wife of 33 years, Lori; his four sons, Adam, Nathan, Luke and Chris; and his three grandchildren, Olivia, Avery Rose and Chase.

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Sarah H

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