Normally, when a player becomes a five-time All-Star in the National Basketball League, they enter the league, albeit with trepidation, but with confidence that they could eventually reach the top tier. And then there is Don Ohl.

Ohl did well in his final season at Illinois and was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 5^th Round of the 1958 Draft, but he never reported and felt he wasn’t good enough.  Instead, he played for Peoria of the National Industrial Basketball League, and led them to an AAU Tournament win in Denver.  Later, he tried out for the U.S. Olympic Team, and though he did not make it, he proved to scouts and, more importantly, to himself that he could play on basketball’s biggest stage.  Detroit traded for his rights, and off he went to the NBA.

Playing at Guard, Ohl was not a flashy player but was durable and consistent.  Ohl was more than solid at both ends of the court, and he developed a scoring touch that saw him score at least 17 Points for six seasons in a row (1961-62 to 1966-67), with the last two exceeding 20 Points.  Over this time period, Ohl had five consecutive All-Stars (1963-67), but it was split between two teams.   The Baltimore Bullets traded for Ohl in an eight-player deal in 1964, and his best seasons of his peak period were as a Bullet.  Ohl helped Baltimore reach their first conference final, and though they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, Ohl not only proved he belonged, but that he could hang with the best.

Ohl was traded to the St. Louis Hawks in 1968, and concluded his career as the team relocated to Atlanta for two more seasons.

Today, the basketball community mourns the loss of a true legend, Bill Walton. 

Bill Walton passed away at the age of 71 after a bout with cancer.

Walton was one of the greatest players in UCLA history, winning three consecutive National College Player of the Year Awards.  He also led the Bruins to two National Championships, where he was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in both.  Naturally, the Center was drafted first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974, but his pro career was beset by constant injuries, though the runs of greatness were certainly there.

Overcoming ankle and foot issues in his first two seasons, Walton's leadership shone through.  He was an All-Star in both years, but his contributions extended far beyond individual accolades.  Walton won the Rebounds (14.4) and Blocks Title (3.2) and was a Second Team All-NBA and First Team All-Defensive Selection. Most notably, he transformed the Trail Blazers into contenders, leading them to their first and only NBA Championship. 

Walton propelled Portland to 50 of 60 wins to start the 1977-78 but suffered a broken foot late in the year, ending the regular season, but he was rewarded with the MVP when he had a career-high 18.9 Points per Game, with an impressive 13.2 Rebounds and 2.5 Blocks per Game. Walton’s 24.8 PER was also a personal best.  He returned for the playoffs but would return on painkillers for the playoffs, but did so on a broken ankle, which he was unaware of.  The highly-principled Walton refused to play for the Trail Blazers again, and he sat out (though was also injured) the following year while demanding a trade.  He never got that deal but was a free agent in 1979 and signed with the San Diego Clippers.

San Diego showed that he was no longer an elite player but an injury-prone star who could provide when healthy. This was not often for the Clippers, as he only played 14 Games in 1979-80.  With a refractured foot and other related ailments, he missed 1980-81 and 1981-82 entirely. He returned in 1982, playing three seasons, albeit infrequently, and was part of the team’s relocation to Los Angeles, which hurt Walton deeply, as he was a San Diego native.

Walton signed with the powerful Boston Celtics in 1985, accepting a reserve role.  For the first time in his career, Walton played 80 Games and would win the Sixth Man of the Year, aiding Boston in winning the 1986 NBA Championship.  He only played ten more games afterward, again dealing with issues with his feet and would retire officially in 1988.

Walton would later have a successful career as a color commentator and was known for his love of the Grateful Dead. 

We here at Notinhalloffame offer our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Bill Walton.

The problem with running a Hall of Fame-related website is that many of the big ones we cover all have announcements within months of each other.  The backbone of what we do is list-related, resulting in a long push to revise what we already have, specifically now with our Football and Basketball Lists.

At present, we have a minor update as we have completed the thirteenth ten of the 2024 Football List, which you can comment on and vote on:

The new 131 to 140:

131. Priest Holmes
132. Tom Nalen
133. Gary Collins
134. Lionel Taylor
135. Simeon Rice
136. Andy Russell
137. Matt Birk
138. Boomer Esiason
139. Daryle Lamonica
140. Vince Wilfork

Rankings are impacted annually based on your comments and votes.

Thank you all for your patience. We will soon unveil more changes to the football and basketball lists.

The problem with running a Hall of Fame-related website is that many of the big ones we cover all have announcements within months of each other.  The backbone of what we do is list-related, resulting in a long push to revise what we already have; specifically, now with our Football and Basketball Lists.

At present, we have a minor update as we have completed the thirteenth ten of the 2024 Football List, which you can comment on and vote on:

The new 121 to 130:

121. Steve Tasker
122. Harvey Martin
123. Lance Briggs
124. Gale Gillingham
125. Steve McNair
126. Jessie Tuggle
127. Jerry Smith
128. Pat Fischer
129. Jay Novacek
130. Joey Browner

Rankings are impacted annually based on your comments and votes.

Thank you all for your patience. We will soon unveil more changes to the football and basketball lists.