Bill Walton

[WichitaSooner]

Just saw the sad news that he passed from cancer. He didn’t work as many games as usual this year and I knew it was a health issue, but the details hadn’t been made public. I know some loved him and some hated him as a broadcaster (I’m in the former group), but he is one of a kind and one of the absolute best college players of all time. Big loss for the game, he was such an ambassador for the sport.

 

[SoonerSailor34]

RIP, Mr. Walton.

 

[CoachTalk]

Rip. One of the worst announcer ever and one of the greatest college players ever.

 

[cowboysooner]

Greatest "team" players, i.e. players that made everyone around them play better and whose teams were hardest to beat, are in my opinion: Bird, Russell, Walton and Magic Johnson (in no particular order).

Greatest players of all time IMO: Jordan, Alcindor, Lebron James, Oscar Robertson, and Bird. I have Jordan best backcourt and Alcindor best frontcourt.

If we were drafting teams and I had first pick, I would take Walton (assumes all were in their prime). If I got Walton, and had second pick, I would take Jordan. If Walton was off the table with the first pick, then my first pick would be Russell. After getting my center, I would go Jordan, and if he wasn't available, it would be James for me.

 

[61sooner]

I was at the NCAA finals in St. Louis the night Walton went 21 of 22 as UCLA rolled Memphis. Would have been a better final if Bad News Barnes hadn't been injured before the semifinals and he and Ernie D and Providence didn't get a crack at the Bruins. Walton was great, but the only #1 pick ever possible was Wilton Chamberlain of
Overbrook HS and the U of Kansas. If Wilt could have pole vaulted he probably could have entered the decathlon and set records that might never be touched.

 

[WichitaSooner]

I was at the NCAA finals in St. Louis the night Walton went 21 of 22 as UCLA rolled Memphis. Would have been a better final if Bad News Barnes hadn't been injured before the semifinals and he and Ernie D and Providence didn't get a crack at the Bruins. Walton was great, but the only #1 pick ever possible was Wilton Chamberlain of
Overbrook HS and the U of Kansas. If Wilt could have pole vaulted he probably could have entered the decathlon and set records that might never be touched.

Hard to argue too much with Wilt but I think most lists of best college players have Alcindor and Walton at the top.

 

[61sooner]

Wilt only played 2 varsity years at KU. The coach that came after Phog was Dick Harp who was a huge step down from Allen. Hard to believe that in Wilt's junior year KU didn't even win the conference and thus didn't make the NCAA tournament. These days, that would be an automatic firing from the head coach position.

 

[mict085]

He was definitely an Interesting guy and a genuinely nice person. Great player back in the day and his announcing was really just story telling and usually had nothing to do with the game. LOL.

RIP

 

[hoopsaustin]

Rip. One of the worst announcer ever and one of the greatest college players ever.

Worst announcer ever by far

 

[WichitaSooner]

I suggest some of you go back and listen to his color commentary on NBA games. I understand that some people hated the way he called the PAC games on espn but was just part of his career. And even in those games, he made points that most announcers didn’t make.

 

[Eielson]

I hadn't listened to him in many years, but I remember him as being entertaining.

 

[CoachTalk]

I hadn't listened to him in many years, but I remember him as being entertaining.

Entertaining for sure. But higher than kite most telecasts and off the wall non basketball stuff most games

 

[steverocks35]

I loved his color commentary, but I'm weird.

 

[BCSooners]

I suggest some of you go back and listen to his color commentary on NBA games. I understand that some people hated the way he called the PAC games on espn but was just part of his career. And even in those games, he made points that most announcers didn’t make.

He made points that most people didn’t make, and for good reason. Seems like a great guy and definitely saddened for his family & friends, but as a pure announcer only Chris Webber was worse.

 

[WichitaSooner]

He made points that most people didn’t make, and for good reason. Seems like a great guy and definitely saddened for his family & friends, but as a pure announcer only Chris Webber was worse.

Again, I get it if his style wasn't your cup of tea, but his understanding of the game was far better than most announcers, and that came through if you were willing to really listen to him when he analyzed the game.

 

[BCSooners]

Again, I get it if his style wasn't your cup of tea, but his understanding of the game was far better than most announcers, and that came through if you were willing to really listen to him when he analyzed the game.

We’ll just have to disagree. He rarely talked about the game & you could hear his partners get frustrated with him constantly.

 

[WichitaSooner]

We’ll just have to disagree. He rarely talked about the game & you could hear his partners get frustrated with him constantly.

It was an act. Listen to any of his partners. Dave Pasch in particular loved working with him even though most fans thought he was annoyed by him.

 

[mict085]

I liked Walton. I don’t get the hate. Most announcers aren’t worth listening to but Walton was entertaining.

 

[hoopsaustin]

We’ll just have to disagree. He rarely talked about the game & you could hear his partners get frustrated with him constantly.

Pothead or something that fried his brain imo. I don't care about his thoughts on anything but would have liked to hear about the game I would be watching lol

 

[BoulderSooner]

Pothead or something that fried his brain imo. I don't care about his thoughts on anything but would have liked to hear about the game I would be watching lol

I liked him if it was a game i didn't otherwise care about ..

if i cared about the game I would not want him as the announcer .