Bill Walton: Where do YOU Stand?

[30Duck]

Hard to think of another announcer that's ever been as polarizing as Bill Walton.

 

Canzano: Bill Walton is the grand marshal of the March Madness parade

WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM

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Legendary broadcaster makes March more special.

 

[Charles Fischer]

The look on Dave's face above is one we all have at the TV so many times each game Bill does..."really?"

[Jon Joseph]

THE Conference of Champions! Make no mistake.

[OhioDuck]

Bill Walton is a hoot! I mean that in a good way and a weird way (but I admit I often like weird). 

 

I know he's off the wall sometimes, but he often has some good insight and he's certainly entertaining!

 

Put me down as a like!

[30Duck]

He sure would have helped last night. I don't mind learning about archipelagoes during a basketball game

 

 

[WiseKwacker]

Bill and I both graduated high school in the Class of 1970. Followed him since he first announced he was following Kareem at UCLA. I basically rooted for him (and the Bruins) every game they played EXCEPT when they played my beloved Ducks. I was in Mac Court during UCLA's "Lost Weekend" trip to Oregon. Then, I rooted for Bill as a Trailblazer. I was crushed when the injuries began, leading to his disillusionment with the Blazer organization's medical staff. At his best, Walton was as dominant as ANY basketball player I've ever seen.  (My opinion, so don't bother trying to convince me otherwise.)

 

As an announcer, Bill absolutely cracks me up. As a basketball fan, I pride myself in being a multi-tasker--I can watch a basketball game while, at the same time, listen to Bill ramble on about some obscure site on the Stanford campus. And, I've found that when he talks about some place in my wheelhouse--Portland, Oregon--he generally spouts accurate info. 

 

In a nutshell, one of my bucket list items would be to have a glass of beer--or three--with Dollar Bill.  I would love to ask him--after the first couple of beers--to recollect about any conversations he had over the years with Brent Musburger, who used to continually refer to the guy as "Mountain Man." (I know Walton hated that nickname.)

[30Duck]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:13 PM, WiseKwacker said:

At his best, Walton was as dominant as ANY basketball player I've ever seen.  (My opinion, so don't bother trying to convince me otherwise.)

Far from convincing you otherwise, I can't agree enough. I was with you in the Pit for the LW game, and like you it's one of the rare games where I was rooting against Bill. He is the most dominant player I've ever seen. In the championship game in '73 against Memphis he made 21-22 shots. He could have scored a lot more points, but he wasn't about scoring, he was about winning. Whenever he discusses the Trail Blazers championship, he mentions the contributions of all the other players, not his, including the 4-0 sweep of the Kareem led Lakers in the Western Division Championship Round. That was a dynasty in Portland if not for the injuries. 

[Steven A]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:13 PM, WiseKwacker said:

At his best, Walton was as dominant as ANY basketball player I've ever seen. 

In addition, there has never been a better big man passer.

[TexasDuck]

A case can be made that he was the best who ever played the game, in terms of his mastery of every aspect of basketball.  One of the great disappointments in sports is that his health did not allow for more than short glimpses of that greatness.

 

As an announcer, he is kind of a nut.  He's his own person, that's for sure.  He follows the beat of his own (Grateful Dead) drummer. 

 

Edited March 4, 2022 by TexasDuck
grammar

[Jon Joseph]

On 3/4/2022 at 5:36 PM, 30Duck said:

Far from convincing you otherwise, I can't agree enough. I was with you in the Pit for the LW game, and like you it's one of the rare games where I was rooting against Bill. He is the most dominant player I've ever seen. In the championship game in '73 against Memphis he made 21-22 shots. He could have scored a lot more points, but he wasn't about scoring, he was about winning. Whenever he discusses the Trail Blazers championship, he mentions the contributions of all the other players, not his, including the 4-0 sweep of the Kareem led Lakers in the Western Division Championship Round. That was a dynasty in Portland if not for the injuries. 

And as I recall back in the day he was not allowed to dunk the ball? Before the 3 point line guys like Bill dominated inside.

[Duckdude]

Lost weekend game!  Glory be to: Bruce Coldren, Ron Lee, Greg Ballard, Gerald Willet, Mark Barwig, and………. Ernie “4 or 5 moves” Kent!!!

[Wood Duck]

I enjoy Bill's color commentating, but he can be a bit of an annoying distraction from the game at times. I love his passion and upbeat positive attitude towards life.

I almost always learn something new from him, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a fellow human being.

[30Duck]

On 3/4/2022 at 4:04 PM, Jon Joseph said:

And as I recall back in the day he was not allowed to dunk the ball? Before the 3 point line guys like Bill dominated inside.

Yes, the NCAA banned dunking prior to the 1966-67 season and the rule stayed in place until before the '76-77 season. So, no Walton, and even worse, we were denied Ronnie Lee dunks!

[Haywarduck]

Love his passion, and he was one of the greatest in his prime. When he rebounded the ball he already new where everyone one was, and who he was going to pass it to before he was half way back to the floor, legendary rebounder and passer!

[McDuck]

On 3/4/2022 at 4:25 PM, 30Duck said:

Yes, the NCAA banned dunking prior to the 1966-67 season and the rule stayed in place until before the '76-77 season. So, no Walton, and even worse, we were denied Ronnie Lee dunks!

We may have missed Ronnie Lee dunks but we gained seeing Ronnie Lee blocking breakaway lay ins.  It was a thing of beauty, perfectly timed as he swatted the ball just as it left the shooters hand but before it hit the backboard.

[Duckdude]

On 3/4/2022 at 5:22 PM, McDuck said:

We may have missed Ronnie Lee dunks but we gained seeing Ronnie Lee blocking breakaway lay ins.  It was a thing of beauty, perfectly timed as he swatted the ball just as it left the shooters hand but before it hit the backboard.

Ronnie was one tremendous basketball player, no?  We were privileged to be able to have him on our team, and to watch his play for 4 years!  In today’s game, he would’ve been an early departure ala Lou King, Brown, etc.  I think he would’ve stuck in the NBA, even if he had left early.  Might’ve even had ended up with more years played in the NBA.  We’ll never know……

[30Duck]

On 3/4/2022 at 5:22 PM, McDuck said:

We may have missed Ronnie Lee dunks but we gained seeing Ronnie Lee blocking breakaway lay ins.  It was a thing of beauty, perfectly timed as he swatted the ball just as it left the shooters hand but before it hit the backboard.

Oh man!!!  You are so right!!! I've never stopped seeing those "things of beauty" in my mind. 

[30Duck]

 

[LADuck]

Bill is funny and a good change of pace to other announcers.

[Viking Duck]

I was around while he was with the Blazers but a little too young to remember any of it at this point.

 

I think he's entertaining as a color commentator; I'm with @WiseKwacker on thinking that having a beer with him would be fun!

 

I would take 10 games with Walton in the booth before one with Dick Vitale, for whatever that says about me.

[Mike West]

On 3/4/2022 at 4:04 PM, Jon Joseph said:

And as I recall back in the day he was not allowed to dunk the ball? Before the 3 point line guys like Bill dominated inside.

He'd still dominate today.  Kids don't play basketball today, they play playground ball.

 

I would love to be able to see the prime NBA eras (there are two- the late sixties till the early seventies, and the Magic/Bird years till the Thomas/ Jordan years).

 

Those players would chew up any other era like the US Olympic teams obliterated the world.

 

Walton would thunder dunk on ANY current forward or center- and he's half as athletic. He'd simply post up, back em up, and shove the ball down the net. 

 

I don't even bother watching the garbage posing as basketball today, I can't watch because the women - who aren't as fast,strong or coordinated- are better basketball players.  It's disgusting to watch the men after seeing the women ( and I wish they were as athletic because THEY WOULD BEAT THE MEN EASILY). 

 

Walton dominated an ultra dominant UCLA squad.  No way the NBA stops a healthy Bill Walton.

[30Duck]

On 3/5/2022 at 10:07 AM, Mike West said:

No way the NBA stops a healthy Bill Walton.

It didn't. After the Blazers won the championship in '77 they started the next season, 50-10 before the injuries decimated the team. No team played better basketball than those Blazers, great passing, defense, before the 3 point shot. 

[McDuck]

On 3/5/2022 at 10:07 AM, Mike West said:

I don't even bother watching the garbage posing as basketball today, I can't watch because the women - who aren't as fast,strong or coordinated- are better basketball players.  It's disgusting to watch the men after seeing the women ( and I wish they were as athletic because THEY WOULD BEAT THE MEN EASILY). 

 

Absolutely!

[Duckpop22]

I am an unabashed fan of the big redhead as an announcer. I'm not a Blazer fan so I don't swoon over him there, except to say that I've never admired anyone's outlet passes as much. But as an announcer, two thumbs up (and one thumb up for Dick Vitale.)

[30Duck]

 

[ICamel]

I also have a "love/hate" take on Big Bill.

 

I love his unconventional color commentary.

 

I hate it when he is bloviating and they keep the camera on him and don't follow the game.

[Steven A]

On 3/4/2022 at 4:25 PM, 30Duck said:

es, the NCAA banned dunking prior to the 1966-67 season

I think the ruling was due to an incoming freshman NY kid named Lew, later Kareem.

[30Duck]

On 3/6/2022 at 3:15 PM, Steven A said:

I think the ruling was due to an incoming freshman NY kid named Lew, later Kareem.

It was indeed, and UCLA won the championship 3 years in a row with him anyway. 

[cartm25]

Not a fan!

 

I don’t like announcers that put the spotlight on themselves more than the game and players.

 

I like commentary that gives us the “what”, the “why”, the “how”, and strategies/plays that might come next.

Gold Standard (IMO):  Tony Romo

 

I watch next to no college basketball anymore, but when I did watch more regularly in the past, I remember not being offended/annoyed by Jay Bilas.

 

[30Duck]

On 3/6/2022 at 4:13 PM, cartm25 said:

I don’t like announcers that put the spotlight on themselves more than the game and players.

 

I like commentary that gives us the “what”, the “why”, the “how”, and strategies/plays that might come next.

I completely understand and appreciate what you said, and Walton certainly does draw attention to himself. But somehow with him, it doesn't bother me during a game he's doing. In contrast to Bill, I offer fellow Bruin, Don MacLean.

 

MacLean is very adept at telling us what happened, "He can make that shot" and what needs to happen, "Time is running out, (team) is behind and can't keep trading baskets, they need to get some stops."  How and why? 'They scored more points and won the game,"

 

 

[Kurt Rambis]

I like guys with some personality, like John Madden and Al Michaels/Chris Collinsworth.  But I just don't like Walton.  Can't listen to him.  Just crosses the line from having personality to being a complete clown who half the time isn't even following what's on the court - just riffing on some obscure topic and won't shut up.  Dick Vitale in a different way was the same thing to me - just tough to listen to him.

 

Seems I'm in the minority from the other comments, but that won't be the first time...

[cartm25]

On 3/7/2022 at 4:38 AM, Kurt Rambis said:

I like guys with some personality, like John Madden and Al Michaels/Chris Collinsworth.  But I just don't like Walton.  Can't listen to him.  Just crosses the line from having personality to being a complete clown who half the time isn't even following what's on the court - just riffing on some obscure topic and won't shut up.  Dick Vitale in a different way was the same thing to me - just tough to listen to him.

 

Seems I'm in the minority from the other comments, but that won't be the first time...

It's rare for me to find anyone who dislikes BOTH Walton and Vitale, but I'm with you 100%. Vitale may be iconic to NCAA BB, but it's torture listening to him.

[Santa Rosa Duck]

For me, Bill Walton is the best. I like his attitude, insight to the game and his verbal trips to local outdoor destinations. My wife does not care to watch any basketball game unless.....Bill Walton is the announcer!