Mar 2, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) acknowledges the crowd after scoring his 40,000th career point against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsSHARE
Just recently, Bill Walton passed away at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle against cancer. Among the many personalities who have paid their tribute to the two-time NBA champion is no other than Los Angeles Lakers’ All-Star forward LeBron James.
Walton first made waves when he led the UCLA Bruins to a pair of NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973. After his time playing college basketball, the big man was selected first by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1974 Draft.
May 7, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; NBA former player Bill Walton (left) chats with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry before game three of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
Although his first few seasons were marred by injuries, Walton still led Portland to a ring during the 1976-77 season. In that span leading to the championship victory, the All-Star center averaged 18.2 points, 15.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.4 blocks per game.
He would later play for both the San Diego and Los Angeles Clippers before spending the final part of his career with the Boston Celtics. During the 1985-86 campaign, the NBA bestowed the Sixth Man of the Year award on him while he won his second ring in Beantown.
After his playing time was done, Walton transitioned to providing commentary and analysis for the NBA, ABC, and ESPN, among others. During the final years of his life, his voice gave life in service to covering PAC-12 Games, including those of UCLA, his alma mater.
Los Angeles Lakers Star LeBron James Pays Tribute for Late NBA Legend Bill Walton
Nov 27, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
After Walton passed away, countless personalities paid their tribute to the late legend, including former president Barack Obama, NBA analyst Charles Barkley, Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, and Los Angeles Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among others. For his part, James paid his respects in a video he shared on X.
REST IN PARADISE BIG RED ❤️🙏🏾🫡 https://t.co/yekD9AGdJl
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 29, 2024
A couple of years ago, Walton praised James for not only being a great basketball player, but a person with platinum-level business acumen after accomplishing so many achievements outside the court. The four-time NBA champion is known to have countless ventures outside the NBA worth millions of dollars as part of his empire.
February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Bill Walton is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
With Walton gone, only a few of his peers remain alive. In any case, players like James are there to carry the torch for the next generation in the same way the former Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics big man did during his time in the league.
Feb 17, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Sportscaster and former basketball player Bill Walton attends NBA All Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports