Bill Walton Passes Away At 71, Sports World Reacts

1974- Close up of Bill Walton, basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers in his uniform. Undated color slide.

750 The Game Staff

Bill Walton, a basketball legend in Portland and well beyond, has passed away at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer.

Reaction immediately poured in from all corners of the sports world.

Bill Walton is dead.

“Everything about my life is about making things better,” he told me.

My column on Walton: https://t.co/PLXPvcot3F pic.twitter.com/37sgqLgb8G

— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) May 27, 2024

“Bill went out of his way to make you feel good, to make you smile.”

-Dan Patrick pays tribute to his friend Bill Walton pic.twitter.com/6BpVmLN3bI

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 28, 2024

There will never be another Bill. Love you & miss you my friend. pic.twitter.com/JiVJyQHIO4

— Dave Pasch (@DavePasch) May 27, 2024

I am sad today hearing that my comrade & one of the sports worlds most beloved champions & characters has passed. Bill Walton enjoyed life in every way. To compete against him & to work with him was a blessing in my life. Sorry for your loss Walton family. We’ll miss him too. Doc pic.twitter.com/GAEt1DRH8N

— Julius Dr J Erving (@JuliusErving) May 27, 2024

Rest in peace to UCLA legend Bill Walton. We will always remember him for the joy he brought to everything in life! 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/Vzjmn86NOT

— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) May 27, 2024

Love you Bill! Gonna miss you! We all are! Sending thoughts and prayers to the whole Walton family! pic.twitter.com/zeyqpj0X5s

— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) May 27, 2024

My favorite part of the Bill Walton “30 for 30” is when he rebounds for kids at Portland’s Wallace Park & they have 0 idea they’re in the presence of one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

He just tells them he’s “Bill.” pic.twitter.com/zGxpqXZ8kM

— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) May 27, 2024

I met Bill my rookie year in Anchorage Alaska for Lakers/Clippers preseason game. At the same hotel I came down early 4 breakfast & Bill invited me 2 his table. To this day we never talked basketball-just love, life, happiness & peace. A true friend & mentor. You will be missed pic.twitter.com/FUP1gozxMC

— James Worthy (@JamesWorthy42) May 27, 2024

Last night, @roxybernstein signed off the final @pac12 event on ESPN shouting out Bill Walton:

“I can’t sign off from this seat or this broadcast without paying homage to my good friend Bill Walton. As Bill likes to say, ‘Thank you for my life.’”
pic.twitter.com/eskjDz5mZM

— James Singer (@Jemsinger) May 27, 2024

Bill Walton shares the time he hit the longest home run ever

Must watch

RIP pic.twitter.com/QeZCqsOOhB

— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) May 27, 2024

Legend. Thank you for everything you did for the game and beyond 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/5FcAeg7qpL

— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) May 28, 2024

This moment when Walton and Schonz held center court on the 40th anniversary of the title team.

Schonz barely got a word in, and Walton said he could celebrate all night: “Let’s go to the bar! C’mon man!” 😂 pic.twitter.com/bwQAfQZPcu

— Alex Tam 譚汶材 (@alexctam) May 27, 2024

Tune in to John Canzano’s Bald Faced Truth 3-6 p.m. for reflection, stories, and interview moments from Bill Walton on the show, and beyond.

@750TheGame