Bill Walton was picked by the Portland Trailblazers with the number one
selection in the 1974 NBA Draft after a stellar college basketball career
at UCLA under John Wooden. He won NCAA Championships in 1972 and 1973.
He rarely missed a shot in the NCAA tournament, holding the career FG
record with
68.6% and the one year record (1973) of 76.3% shooting 45 for 59. His
accurate FG shooting led to his being named the tournament MVP in 1972
and 1973. The Sporting News named him the NCAA player of the year from
1972-1974 (3 awards). His success tranferred to the NBA where he led the
Blazers to their one and only NBA title in 1977, very early in their young
history. In 1977 he led the NBA in blocks and rebounding. He was also
named the NBA's MVP in 1978.His career was
hampered by injuries, who knows what he could have done if he had been
able to play as many games as contemporaries Kareem and Moses Malone.
After Walton missed all of the 1978-79 season, Portland grew tired of his
fragility and he was picked up by the
Clippers for Kevin Kunnert, Kermit Washington, a First Round Draft
Choice in 1980 and some cash. Bill disapeared for several
years in San Diego (1979-1985) where he also missed 2 full seasons and
many more games to injury. He was traded
to Boston in 1985 for Cedric Maxwell. With the Celtics he won his
second NBA championship, this time alongside fellow All-Time NBA Greats
Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. He also won the NBA Sixth Man
Award that
same season. Figuring he done it all, twice, Walton retired shortly
after the 1986-87 season. Bill was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993.
Walton remains
active in basketball, currently as an opinionated broadcaster for NBC
sports. Walton was recently named to the list of the NBA's 50 All-Time
Greatest
Players.
Walton was an excellent passer, maybe one of the best of all time from the
center position. He could also rebound with the best of the big men and
was a ferocious defender, being named to the All-NBA Defensive Team in
1977 and 1978. He was not a shabby offensive player, either. His
favorite weapon was a sweet jump hook that he could hit from anywhere
around the basket and with either hand. Walton played 10 years, but only
in 468 career games.
Walton's Stats: PPG RPG APG BlkPG Rookie 12.8 12.6 4.8 2.7 1976-77 18.6 14.4 3.8 3.2 1977-78 18.9 13.2 5.0 2.5 Career 13.3 10.5 3.4 2.2
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