Mark Pope on Bill Walton death: 'He was a generous friend to all of us'
The college basketball community has been flooded with memories and tributes to Bill Walton after his death was announced on Monday.
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope is the latest, sharing a photo with the NBA legend during his time at BYU. Pope opened up on his perspective on Walton as well.
“So much love for Bill Walton. He loved people, loved the game, and loved life! He was a generous friend to all of us. Will miss him,” the UK headman wrote on X.
Walton got to watch Pope’s BYU squad over the years as the Cougars would play multiple Pac-12 squads each season before their move to the Big 12 since Walton was a color commentator for the Pac-12 Network since its inception.
To a younger generation, he was known as an over-the-top, entertaining personality that specialized in hyperbole. He also went viral on social media a time or two because of the stunts he would pull on air such as eating a candle on a cupcake while it was still lit or quaking at the Oregon mascot during Ducks games.
However, Walton’s basketball career is much more memorable. Former UCLA star and 1974 No. 1 overall draft pick won a pair of NBA championships during his playing career — in 1977 as the centerpiece of the Trail Blazers, and in 1986 as the sixth man for one of the great Celtics teams. Plus, he also won the 1978 MVP.
Unfortunately for Walton, he had to battle injuries throughout his career, resulting in more than 30 surgeries mostly on his ankles and feet. Such setbacks ultimately kept him from remaining in his late-70s form for very long, but at his peak, Walton was the very best player in the NBA for a brief moment.
More on the late Bill Walton
At UCLA, Walton was also the best player for a time and won three consecutive National Player of the Year awards while also leading the Bruins to back-to-back national titles. He was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after both seasons.
Bill Walton played in the NBA from 1974-1988, ending his career with the Boston Celtics after he had helped them win the title in ’86. After ’88, though, he was forced to retire from basketball due to his overwhelming number of injury issues.
Despite a career marred by health problems, Walton is still on the NBA’s list of their 50 greatest players. Few players have ever been as successful as Bill Walton at both the college and professional level.
On3’s Alex Weber contributed to this report.