Walton, 71, died Monday following a prolonged battle with cancer. The Hall of Fame center won two national titles at UCLA, two NBA championships in Portland and Boston and later put the “color” in color commentator.
He left Portland to play for the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers from 1979 to 1985 but never reached the heights of those earlier seasons and struggled through foot and knee injuries. He then joined the Boston Celtics, where he rejuvenated his career and in 1986 won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award as a reliable backup to stars Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. Together, the group won the NBA title in 1986 over the Houston Rockets, the second of Walton’s career.
He left Portland to play for the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers from 1979 to 1985 but never reached the heights of those earlier seasons and struggled through foot and knee injuries. He then joined the Boston Celtics, where he rejuvenated his career and in 1986 won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award as a reliable backup to stars Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. Together, the group won the NBA title in 1986 over the Houston Rockets, the second of Walton’s career.
