The NBA has paid tribute to Bill Walton ahead of the start of the Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks after the Hall of Famer’s death at age 71 from colorectal cancer last month.
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.
‘What a team, what a franchise, what a history, what a present, what a future, I am the luckiest guy on earth,’ he added, referring to the Celtics.
Celtics players commemorated Walton by donning black jerseys with Walton’s name on it in multiple colors before tip-off. Both teams observed a minute of silence, as well.
Jayson Tatum, of the Celtics, wore a shirt honoring Bill Walton with teammates on Thursday
Both teams observed a minute of silence for Walton after a tribute clip was played in the arena
Walton – a player-turned-analyst – died in May after a prolonged battle with colorectal cancer
Walton’s family, including his son and ex-LA Lakers head coach Luke Walton, were in attendance for Thursday night’s game as they were all spotted in the stands wearing the same shirts paying tribute to the two-time NBA champion as the players on the court.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver shared that Celtics players would honor Walton ahead of Thursday’s game.
Other than with the Celtics, Walton won an NBA title and Finals MVP with the Trail Blazers in 1977. He was also the NBA MVP in 1978 and a two-time NCAA national champion with UCLA, leading the Bruins to an 88-game winning streak.
All of his accomplishments at college level earned him the privilege to be the first overall pick of the 1974 NBA Draft.
Walton, who averaged 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 blocks in 468 regular-season games in a career spanning from 1974-1988, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
He was named to the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams, as well.
The former center played an integral role in the Celtics’ quest to an NBA championship in 1986
Walton’s family were at TD Garden to honor the two-time NBA champion, including son Luke
Ahead of Thursday night’s game, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed warm-up jerseys in tribute to Walton
After retiring from the NBA, Walton overcame stuttering and embarked on a second career as a sportscaster, working both as a studio analyst and color commentator with several networks and teams. He earned an Emmy Award in 1991.
Walton was a fan of the Grateful Dead, as a self-described ‘Deadhead’, and often mentioned them in his broadcasts. He hosted several podcasts and satellite radio programs featuring the music of the Grateful Dead.
Last week, former NBA player-turned-analyst Charles Barkley paid tribute to Walton on TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ as Shaquille O’Neal also offered insight on his ‘up-and down relationship’ with the late basketball icon.
In the wake of Walton’s death, Celtics legend Larry Bird, former US President Barack Obama and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith honored the California native.
Last week, it was also revealed that NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning had surgery to remove his prostate after a stage 3 cancer diagnosis in March.
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