Barack Obama and NBA legends mourn Bill Walton's death at age 71

According to Yahoo News, former United States president Barack Obama said, “Bill Walton was one of the greatest basketball players of all time — a champion at every level and the embodiment of unselfish team play.”

NBA legend Bill Walton passed away on May 27 at age 71 after a long battle with cancer. Obama also said about Walton: “He was a wonderful spirit full of curiosity, humor and kindness. We are poorer for his passing.”

Walton won two titles during his NBA career. The first ring came with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, and the second came with the Boston Celtics in 1986. He had two very different roles with each squad. Walton was a star player for Portland’s title run, and was an important player off the bench for Boston in 1986. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Walton played for a total of 10 NBA seasons, and was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. As great as he was during that time, there was a world in which Walton could have had an even more accomplished resume. He missed three entire seasons during his career due to lingering foot injuries.

Bill Walton was a hot commodity entering the NBA, as his play during college made him one of the most prized basketball prospects of the 1970s. In three college seasons at UCLA, Walton averaged over 20 points and 15 rebounds per game. The team only lost four games while Walton was at the program.

Over the years, Walton gave UCLA head coach John Wooden heaps of praise for developing him into the player and the person he would become. Walton told ESPN in 2010, “I thank John Wooden every day for all his selfless gifts, his lessons, his time, his vision and especially his faith and patience.”

While Walton could score and rebound as well as many of the great centers in the NBA when healthy, what set him apart was his willingness and ability to get his teammates involved. According to Basketball Network, Larry Bird once said that Walton was the best passer he had ever seen in his life.

Basketball fans of a younger generation might be hard-pressed to remember Bill Walton as a player, but they might be more familiar with his son, Luke. Luke Walton played 10 seasons in the NBA, and has been a head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.

Walton’s collective and individual accomplishments on the NBA level make him one of the most impressive players in league history, but he might be as well known for the unique mannerisms he displayed throughout the course of his life.

The Chicago Sun Times called Walton a free spirit, who was an “ageless, gentle hippie.” Their website wrote that he wanted to be free of artificiality and constraints of modern life.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The San Diego Union Tribune remembers Walton for his generosity, philanthropy and civic pride.

The NBA Commissioner said of Bill Walton after news of his death, “he was always upbeat, smiling from ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth.” The quote was posted by the San Diego Union Tribune.

Walton had a long run as a color commentator for NBA and college basketball games, where he definitely brought his unique perspective to the court. Pasch was a longtime partner of Walton’s calling games, and told ESPN, “Bill and I had a special friendship. He just enjoyed the fact that I was his sparring partner and that he could have fun with me.”

Fellow UCLA alumnus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said of Walton to Yahoo Sports, “On the court, Bill was a fierce player, but off the court he wasn’t happy unless he did everything he could to make everyone around him happy.”

Johnson told Yahoo Sports, “He was one of the smartest basketball players to ever live. Bill was a great ambassador for college basketball and the NBA, and he will be sorely missed.”

NBA announcer Mike Breen told The Ringer in 2016 about a time Walton went out of his way to help his family. Breen’s father was battling Parkinson’s disease in 2008, and they wanted to bring him to the USS Midway, where he served in the armed forces. Walton graciously hosted the Breens in San Diego, and spent his entire time making Mike Breen’s father feel comfortable.

Bill Walton was a noted superfan of the band “The Grateful Dead,” and they commented on his passing as well. Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart said of Walton to AP News, “he was my best friend. He was an amazing person, singular, irreplaceable, giving and loving.”

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!