LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 20: Bill Walton attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena on April 20, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
Allen Berezovsky | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
Two-time NBA champion Bill Walton died after a “prolonged battle with cancer,” the league announced Monday.
Walton, who was 71, was with his family when he passed, NBA spokesperson Mark Broussard said in a statement.
“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position.”
Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA championship in 1977 and won a second NBA title as a member of the Boston Celtics in 1986.
And after a sterling basketball career, Walton “translated his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game to broadcasting, where he delivered insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans,” Silver said.
Walton is survived by his wife, Lori, and his sons Adam, Luke, Nate and Chris, according to the NBA.