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The best moments from Bill Walton's broadcasting career
Basketball Hall of Famer and broadcasting icon Bill Walton died Monday after a long battle with cancer, the NBA announced. He was 71.
Walton played for 14 years in the NBA, and his list of accomplishments as a college and professional player is hard to match. He was a two-time national champion at UCLA, where he won three straight national college player of the year awards and earned three consensus first-team All-American nods from 1972-74.
After the Portland Trail Blazers selected Walton first overall in the 1974 NBA Draft, he won a title with them in 1977 and was named Finals MVP. He also won another title in 1986 with the Boston Celtics.
Walton's playing career is only a part of the impact he had on the game of basketball and the world of sports. After it ended, the Hall of Fame player began an illustrious career as a sports broadcaster. Starting in 1990 and over the next 30 years, Walton became known for his use of catchphrases, seemingly unrelated tangents and relentless excitement while calling games.
These are some of his best moments from that broadcasting career.
BILL WALTON: Hall of Famer and UCLA legend dies at age 71
Best Bill Walton broadcasting and media moments
Bill: I've been dead for quite a few years@Jasonbenetti: And we all might be by the end of the night pic.twitter.com/TljlWYZ7DP
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
Here's Bill Walton making a sound effect for every XFL team during a promo at the urging of @DavePasch and slipping in that Trojans joke pic.twitter.com/ZY4XK5UZ9E
— Superdrunkmark69 (@cjzer0) February 9, 2020
Bill Walton. Not a fan of Liberty. pic.twitter.com/oHSrV7OC0k
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) March 1, 2020
There was nobody more full of life at all times. RIP Bill Walton ❤️ pic.twitter.com/DKwVPrAphl
— Steve Helwick (@s_helwick) May 27, 2024
Bill Walton forever pic.twitter.com/doTKjhJcSd
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) May 27, 2024
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My favorite Bill Walton experience: when he came to visit us at The Jump, saw a framed photo we had on set of Bill Russell (his favorite player), and simply walked over, grabbed it - and took it home. The whole thing was absolutely delightful. What a force; he will be so missed pic.twitter.com/yCwVQNjQbN
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 27, 2024
millions of Bill Walton moments just racing through my head again. what a goober pic.twitter.com/J6tHBYtNdm
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) May 27, 2024
RIP Bill Walton, who 14 years ago spoke about Boris Diaw (career 8.4 ppg/4.4 rebs/3.5 ast) with more beauty and reverence than anyone has ever spoken about another person.
“When I think of Boris Diaw, I think of Beethoven and the age of the romantics.” pic.twitter.com/wSN5eVyOae— Blake Wexler 🫵 (@BlakeWexler) May 27, 2024
RIP Bill Walton Legend pic.twitter.com/eZxNYcQ8jS
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) May 27, 2024
Bill Walton was truly a national treasure pic.twitter.com/oHJMaSRDTk
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) May 27, 2024
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Bill Walton was a national treasure. Rest in Peacehttps://t.co/qmUfjj7uG5
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 27, 2024
Ladies and gentlemen, the best of @BillWalton! pic.twitter.com/bO4pDravg1
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 17, 2019
Get ready for a trip down memory lane with Bill Walton as he revisits 1985, when he brought a few of his friends from the Boston Celtics into the world of the Grateful Dead. It's a story you won't want to miss—a slam dunk of nostalgia and good times! pic.twitter.com/L2mXflHG8P
— Grateful Dead (@GratefulDead) January 26, 2024
Bill Walton compares Kansas to a volcano, a waterfall, and a breaching whale (h/t @cstonehoops) pic.twitter.com/nIb8noP2Nw
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) November 26, 2019
Professor Walton 🌎 pic.twitter.com/Lytep8RuM3
— Out of Context Bill Walton✌🏼 (@NoContextWalton) May 2, 2021
RIP Bill Walton. A true conference man who didn’t want to live in a world without the PAC-12 🫡
pic.twitter.com/qIqp3NQuv0— Riley (@Ri_S_OB) May 27, 2024
RIP Bill Walton. We overuse the word unique, but this guy was unique in the truest sense of the word, one of a kind. pic.twitter.com/wz7ebPbI7B
— Hubie Talks Hoops (@HubieTalksHoops) May 27, 2024
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Walton broadcasting highlights: Best moments from 30-year career
