From his eccentric rants to his trademark “Conference of Champions” quote, not to mention the zany attires and his four championships spanning college and the pros, Bill Walton left an indelible mark on the sports world. A Hall of Fame player who won two titles with the Trail Blazers, Walton died Monday at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer, the NBA announced. Shortly after the league released its statement, many flocked to social media to honor one of the sport’s most unique personalities, who became a staple of ESPN’s Pac-12 broadcasts.
“I’m heartbroken,” ESPN colleague Jay Bilas said on SportsCenter . “Just a genuine, beautiful person that always asked about you and as much as he could talk endlessly and captivate everyone around the table with experience from his life, that’s not what he was about. He was about asking you about yours and he was genuinely interested.
One of the most generous souls I’ve ever been around. “Incredibly intelligent, well-read. I think a lot of people later in his career were captivated by his showmanship .
.. He may have been the greatest college basketball player of all-time.
...
He was an absolutely magnificent, beautiful person that you loved to be around at all times.” . @JayBilas remembers Bill Walton ❤️ "He may have been the greatest college basketball player of all time.
He was an all-time great pro as well. ..
. But more than that ..
. He was an absolutely magnificent, beautiful person that you j.
