News about Bill Walton

No, OJ Simpson was not honored alongside Willie Mays, Jerry West and Bill Walton during the 'in memoriam' portion of Thursday's ESPY Awards. Of course, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the late Buffalo Bills legend and accused murderer would go unmentioned during the segment, which was aimed at honoring the sports legends who have passed away over the last 365 days. But that wasn't the case earlier at this month's BET Awards, where that network was slammed for including the scandalized ex-con, who later served nine years in prison for armed robbery before dying of cancer in April at age 76.

Ahead of Game 1 at the TD Garden on Thursday night, the Celtics honored their former big man, who won a championship with the franchise back in 1986, with a special montage of his legacy and career highlights in Boston. 'I'm the luckiest man of the world,' Walton said in old interviews while describing the feeling to have won and played for the Celtics. 'I've been part of the greatest teams in the history of basketball: UCLA, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Boston Celtics.'

Boston sports radio host Fred Toucher memorialized NBA legend and former Celtics star Bill Walton as a 'phony hippie' during a controversial segment after the 71-year-old's death from cancer this week. Toucher (AKA Fred Toettcher) later joked 'I didn't kill him' while discussing Walton, a beloved figure among basketball fans and Grateful Dead enthusiasts alike. The tone of the show was a dramatic departure from much of the coverage surrounding Walton. At one point, over the objections of his co-host, Toucher decided to play a 2010 interview that ended with him hanging up on the two-time NBA champion.

Charles Barkley reacted emotionally to Bill Walton's death on Tuesday, saying 'the world is not as good of a place' after the NBA Hall of Famer passed away from cancer at the age of 71. Speaking on TNT's 'Inside the NBA,' Barkley added to the many tributes from around the sports world for the former Blazers and Celtics star.  'When I got that news yesterday, it hurt,' Barkley said. 'Because you're talking about [someone who was] great at basketball, great at life, great as a broadcaster. But just a great person. I've never seen a person who was more joyful to be around, who was always in a good mood.

Fans of basketball, hippie culture and sports media are mourning the loss of Bill Walton this week, but the hyperbolic Hall of Famer's death from cancer at age 71 is also giving way to a bevvy of hilarious stories about the Redhead Deadhead. Walton's former broadcast partner, Dave Pasch, got in the spirit on Monday by sharing some of his favorite text messages with the eccentric two-time NBA champion, who proved to be every bit as verbose over electronic communications as he was in person.

The Boston Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals on Monday - just hours after the death of franchise legend Bill Walton was announced. Boston pulled off a dramatic 105-102 over the Indiana Pacers to complete a 4-0 sweep. They will likely face the Dallas Mavericks, who lead the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals

Rick Carlisle was massively aided by Bill Walton on a first date with his now-wife, Donna, the Pacers coach revealed after the NBA Hall of Famer's death was announced on Monday. Carlisle and Walton played together on the Celtics' 1986 championship squad, and the following year, Carlisle called his teammate asking for help in finding two tickets for a Grateful Dead show, with a 'pretty cool' girl. Walton, famously a massive 'Dead Head,' told Walton to go to the back of the venue (the now-closed Capital Centre outside Washington DC) and say he was a member of the Celtics' '86 championship team. The rest was history.

The Indiana Pacers paid tribute to Bill Walton before their playoff game against the Celtics on Monday night after the legendary former Boston center's death at 71. Walton, who won the NBA Championship with the Celtics in 1986, died while surrounded by his family on Monday following a battle with cancer. And ahead of Game 3 against Boston at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Pacers held a moment of silence to remember Walton as a mark of respect for the basketball great.

Bill Walton's death at the age of 71 on Monday sparked a flood of heartfelt tributes from his sports media peers - including his longtime broadcast partner Dave Pasch. Pasch, who worked with Walton at ESPN for 12 years calling Pac-12 college basketball, took to X to memorialize the NBA Hall of Famer and legendary commentator. 'There will never be another Bill,' Pasch wrote as she shared a photo of Walton calling a Pac-12 game in a tank top.

The basketball world is in mourning after the passing of legendary commentator and player Bill Walton at the age of 71 following a battle with cancer.  Walton was one of the greatest centers in the history of the game - and by far one of the best college basketball players overall in the sport's history. He won two NBA championships - one in 1977 with the Portland Trail Blazers and again in 1986 with the Boston Celtics. That came after winning three straight college national titles at UCLA.

Tributes are pouring in for NBA hall of famer and legendary commentator, Bill Walton, after he died at 71 following a cancer battle.  SportsCenter's Stephen A Smith penned an emotional tribute to the late athlete, after news of his passing was revealed Monday.  'Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of my buddy, Bill Walton. His game was ahead of its time, truly one of the greatest big men who ever played,' the TV personality wrote on X.

Walton, an NBA Hall of Fame center and legendary commentator, died at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer Monday.  Following the basketball icon's death over Memorial Day weekend, heartbroken fans flooded the comments section of his final Instagram post to mourn the sport's loss.  Walton had shared his last post on the social media platform 13 weeks before his death and hinted at his excitement over one of the NBA's greatest rising stars.

NBA Hall of Fame center and legendary commentator Bill Walton has died at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer. Walton, who is survived by his wife Lori and sons Adam, Nate, Luke and Chris, died surrounded by his loved ones, his family said. He was a two-time NBA champion, winning one title with the Portland Trail Blazers and another with the Boston Celtics.

Bill Walton has some apologizing to do in the eyes of a reputable dwarfism group. Walton was joking around in customary fashion with broadcaster partner Dave Pasch during halftime of Thursday's Pac-12 tournament match between Arizona State and USC. Walton used a term that many find offensive in implying to praise Pasch.

Bill Walton, basketball's renaissance man who works with everyone from Jerry Garcia to the Symbionese Liberation Army, is getting his own page in the NBA. The league is taking a page from the NFL by giving the 'Redhead Deadhead' his own NBA simulcast, where the infamously verbose Walton can talk for hours on whatever comes into his mind. Throw it Down With Bill Walton' is an alternative telecast, but rather than being on cable, fans can watch it on the NBA League Pass subscription service, similar to ESPN's Manningcast, where brothers Peyton and Eli Manning muse about the NFL during Monday Night Football. "This enthralling dream is the thrill, honour, and riches of a lifetime," Walton, a UCLA legend who went on to win NBA championships with the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics, forgot to mention the 1978 MVP award.'

Bill Walton, the former Trail Blazer's center, has begged San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, right, to address the issue of homelessness in a series of emails sent to his office. In one such email, he said he was assaulted by some homeless people while riding his bike through a public park. The sportscaster is now venting his anger on Instagram, where he has shared images of homeless camps inset and said he will no longer champion the city. Though Walton, 69, hasn't decided what he wants the mayor to do, he did mention a Los Angeles bill that bans homeless camps near schools and increased law enforcement. Gloria's office, on the other hand, said it is aware of the situation but limitations by what it can legally do.