Bill Walton, a National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Famer and one of the sport’s biggest broadcasters, has died at age 71.
Walton died after a long battle with cancer, the league announced on Monday.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver remembered him as “truly one of a kind”.
He was known for his legendary college basketball career in California – and for overcoming a stutter to build a successful broadcasting career.
Walton, who towered at 6-foot-11, played center for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)’s basketball team from 1971 to 1974.
It was with that team he led the Bruins to two championship wins and an 88-game winning streak.
He was then selected as the No 1 overall draft pick in 1974 by the Portland Trail Blazers, kickstarting his professional career in the NBA.
Walton led the Blazers to a championship win in 1977 – their first and only – and won the coveted Most Valuable Player award for that season.
Nine years later, he won his second NBA championship, this time with the Boston Celtics.
In a statement on Monday, NBA commissioner Mr Silver said Walton was known in the league for his “unique all-around skills”.
“As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position,” Mr Silver said.
His professional career lasted only 468 games and was cut short due chronic foot injuries.
But Walton’s basketball journey did not end there.
He went on to become an illustrious and colourful Emmy Award-winning commentator for the sport, bringing with him his “infectious enthusiasm and love for the game”, Mr Silver said.
He did so despite having a pronounced stutter for much of his early life.
“In life, being so self-conscious, red hair, big nose, freckles and goofy, nerdy-looking face and can’t talk at all. I was incredibly shy and never said a word,” Mr Walton told radio host John Canzano in 2017.
“Then, when I was 28 I learned how to speak. It’s become my greatest accomplishment of my life and everybody else’s biggest nightmare,” he said.
Besides his entertaining commentary, Walton was often an easy-to-spot figure in the media booth, thanks to his bright tie-dyed t-shirts.
“What I will remember most about him was his zest for life,” said Mr Silver. “He was a regular presence at league events – always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth.”
UCLA’s basketball coach Mick Cronin said: “It’s very hard to put into words what he has meant to UCLA’s program, as well as his tremendous impact on college basketball.”
Walton was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
He leaves behind his wife and four sons, including Luke Walton – a former NBA player and now an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
