Legendary basketball player Bill Walton passes away at 71

Basketball history has lost one of its most brilliant minds. The NBA announced on Monday that Bill Walton, the legendary basketball player inducted into the Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 71 after a brief illness. Walton, who was born on November 5, 1952, in La Mesa, California, played under renowned coach John Wooden during his formative years at UCLA. East of San Diego is where La Mesa is situated.

As per Yahoo Sports Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner stated, "Bill Walton was truly one of a kind." "As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position. His unique all-around skills made him a dominant force at UCLA and led to an NBA regular season and Finals MVP, two NBA championships, and a spot on the NBA's 50th and 75th-anniversary teams."

The 6-foot-11 center was a three-time All-American during his tenure at Westwood, and he won two national titles (in 1972–1973) and three national collegiate player of the year honors. Freshmen were not permitted to participate in those three seasons, therefore his teams finished 86–4 overall with just four losses.

His success in the NBA continued. Portland Trail Blazers selected him first overall in the 1974 NBA Draft, and he won an NBA title in 1977 as well as the MVP award in 1978 (averaging 18.9 points and 13.2 rebounds). However, he had recurring foot ailments, limiting him to 209 games (out of a possible 328) over four seasons. 

Bill Walton was hall of Famer in 1993

After sitting out the whole 1978-79 season to protest how his and his teammate's injuries were treated, Walton signed as a free agency with the San Diego Clippers. He appeared in just 169 games over six seasons, missing two complete seasons due to foot issues. 

Boston Celtics signed Walton in 1985. He played a career-high 80 games in 1985-86, winning another NBA title and Sixth Man of the Year honors with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. Walton played ten games the next season before retiring due to injuries that prevented him from playing in 1986-87.

A Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer in 1993, Walton was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.In 2009, Walton was recognized as one of the 50 best sports broadcasters in history by the American Sportscasters Association.