Bill Walton, a two-time NBA champion and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame whose brilliant but injury-plagued career led to a second stint as a free-spirited announcer turned philosophical on air, died Monday at the age of 18. 71, the NBA announced.
Walton, who had a long battle with cancer, was surrounded by his family when he died, the NBA said.
“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, recalling his many accomplishments on the court and his “insightful and colorful commentary” as a broadcaster. “But what I will remember most about him is his zest for life.”
