🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Wton passed away today after a battle with cancer. He had missed several of his scheduled broadcast appearances towards the end of the Pac 12 season, including the final Pac 12 game due to what was called health issues at the time.

As a college player, he is a top 10 player all time and helped the Portland Trailblazers win their only NBA title in 1977. He could've been an all time NBA great as well had he been able to stay healthy.

I know he's pretty polarizing as a commentator, but I generally always enjoyed listening to his stories when he was calling non-KU games.

Apparently he stuttered as a child. Paraphrasing , he once said, “My greatest accomplishment was learning to speak - and your greatest nightmare.” RIP, Bill.

I talked a lot of crap about Bill Walton. Didnt realize how much I would miss him until now. RIP

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Wow, gonna miss him a lot. If I came across a game with him broadcasting i will watch it, just to listen to him. I loved his happy go lucky ways of recent years. One of the greatest telecasts 'ever' was him with Jason Benetti doing a Sox game. "Wow, look at that ball, it went all the way over that fence". Benetti, uh Bill that means it's a foul ball. Wish I could have seen him play.

I absolutely hate him as an analyst and couldn’t stand him. That being said I wouldn’t wish cancer or death upon him or anyone else. May he rest in peace

@approxinfinity In my opinion, talking crap is nowhere near as bad as just ignoring someone.

Someone whom I'm currently too lazy to Google said "There's no such thing as bad publicity'

RIP Bill.

@nuleafjhawk Phineas Barnum?

@approxinfinity Often attributed to P.T. but might have been Oscar Wilde. Seems more of a Barnum idea!

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/there-is-no-such-thing-as-bad-publicity.html ↗

@Crimsonorblue22 said in RIP Bill Walton:

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Classic Bill lol

He was truly a zodiac commentator. Hard to follow sometimes. But I preferred him over several other commentators. Loved watching him play and he was part of my Southern Cal youth experience at UCLA. His commentary on Wooden was priceless. Walton lived in the doghouse but deserved it but ended up with a very tight, loving relationship with Wooden. I'm going to miss him...

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-05-27/bill-walton-died-kindness-wackiness-true-original ↗

As much as he drove me nuts during our games, I'm enjoying reading and watching clips of him. I'm actually pretty sad. He was pretty funny, corny and the 2 of them together were hysterical. Does anyone know what kind of cancer he had? I didn't even know he had cancer. I just heard he couldn't do their last game.

A good friend spent some time with him a few years back and was amazed how genuinely nice he was. He never cared for him as an announcer but it was opinion changing when he met him.

As I remember, his announcing gigs were sporadic. So you knew he was going to say off-the-wall stuff. I found him highly entertaining personally because I never expected him to be a “real announcer”. He was a goofball really, but smart!

I remember once he was asked over and over and over again , almost badgered, by his announcing partner to pick which team was going to do well in the ncaa tournament, and he steadfastly repeated that it’s all about who plays well that given day. He stood his ground and of course he was dead correct.

I’m going to miss the big fella.

And who can forget the KU connection....1974 Final 4, when they still played the consolation game for 3rd place. UCLA had lost to NCSt, and KU lost to Marquette in the semis. Bill didn't want to play, had a huge argument with Wooden, and ended up playing 20 mins with only 3 shots. And beat us. His complaints about the 3rd place game helped accelerate getting rid of it a couple years later, IIRC.

@mayjay I haven't forgotten it because I never knew it! I don't mind playback games when they're in Maui or something because we want to see us play again, but I understand it in March too.