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.

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, so this results 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 twelfth ten of the 2024 Football List, which you can comment on and vote on:

The new 111 to 120:

111. Joe Staley
112. Robert Mathis
113. Larry Brown
114. Erich Barnes
115. Willie Anderson
116. Jack Kemp
117. Rick Casares
118. Billy “White Shoes” Johnson
119. Ruben Brown
120. Wilber Marshall

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.