Was in the Convo to see us blow out Kent State on Dad's Weekend 2005. Called Kent State a bunch of infidels when he spoke at Mem Aud later that evening.

RIP

According to WABC sports this morning he had a really bad stuttering problem that
Marty Glickman helped him with.
Also was a huge Grateful Dead fan.

I’m not one for naming a GOAT in any sport for a variety of reasons. However, when I read that he had 40 surgeries on his feet and ankles, and see what he accomplished while fighting his injuries, I wonder what he could have done if he were mostly healthy.

Two things come to mind when thinking of Bill Walton the basketball player.

1. The final seconds of UCLA's loss at Notre Dame that ended the record 88-game winning streak. UCLA and Walton had several shots before the final buzzer. If one had gone in the streak would have extended to 89 games and who knows how many more.
2. Big Red hitting 21 of 22 shots in the NCAA title game against Memphis St.

If you can argue Gary Trent was the most dominant player ever in the MAC for winning conference POY all 3 seasons he played at Ohio, can you not make a similar argument for Walton being the best collegiate player ever after he won 3 national POY awards for all 3 seasons he played at UCLA?

(Trent left Ohio for the NBA after his junior year while freshmen were ineligible to play when Walton was in college)

Pete Maravich iirc is still the all-time leading scorer in D-1 history and did it in three years without three point shots. But those LSU teams he was on were not very good, so Walton often get the nod as greatest D-1 player ever.

Beavo Francis from nearby enters the conversation....

13 rebounds, 7 blocks, 4 offensive goaltends for dunking.

Yeah, but Lew Alcindor probably still takes it.

Truth

This reminds me of a headline I once saw when UCLA was in route to winning yet another national championship, "LewCLA trounces . . ."