Hall of Famer Bill Walton, known for his stellar play and infectious, positive energy, recently passed away at 71 after a long battle with cancer. The former Boston Celtics star’s close friend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar subsequently penned a heartfelt tribute for his late friend on the latest edition of his Substack.
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Kareem fondly recalled some of their past interactions, which now seem like delightful memories. He also heartbreakingly revealed how Walton intentionally avoided meeting Kareem before his passing to not cause any distress to the Lakers Center. The two-time NBA Champion always wanted to leave a positive impression on everyone he met.
Kareem wrote,
“I didn’t know how sick Bill was. A few weeks ago, I wanted to visit him but his wonderful wife Lori said he wasn’t feeling well and we postponed. It was so like Bill to keep his illness to himself in order not to worry his friends. He was committed to having every interaction be a positive, uplifting one.”
Abdul-Jabbar, who called Walton his ‘baby brother,’ also shared an example of how incredibly generous and gracious the late center was. During his last visit to meet the 1978 league MVP and his wife, Lori, the Los Angeles Lakers legend had complimented the couple’s hand-painted cutlery set.
That’s all it took for Walton to start pulling out dishes from the shelf and gift Kareem an entire set.
“Bill immediately dragged me into his kitchen and started pulling down the same dishes until he’d given me a full set. That was the last time I saw him, but it was so quintessentially Bill that I will never forget the pure joy on his face as he handed me those dishes,” the six-time NBA Champion added.
Kareem also recalled his other meetings with Walton, which bordered on sheer competition in their younger years. That’s how they bonded as brothers initially.
Kareem recalled Bill Walton’s stellar career
Before entering the NBA, Bill Walton had the unenviable task of being the next great UCLA center after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shockingly, he lived up to the unprecedented standard that his predecessor had left. Walton led the UCLA Bruins to two NCAA National titles, only one less than Kareem, and matched him in winning the College Basketball Player of the Year award thrice.
His success did not surprise the Lakers great. In his Substack, the Hall of Famer wrote,
“To his credit, there was not a harder-working athlete. Like Kobe Bryant, he was willing to do whatever it took to reach the next level of play. He was always pushing the limits of his abilities.”
Like Kareem, Walton was the consensus top pick in his draft class and joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974. While the Lakers star led his team to the title in his sophomore year in the league, the Trail Blazers sensation had to wait until his third season to get his hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
To make the victory sweeter, Walton and his teammates swept Kareem and the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals en route to the franchise’s first NBA title. The Trail Blazers star was named the Finals MVP for his exceptional performance against the Philadelphia 76ers. The following season, Walton continued to upstage Kareem and even won the MVP award.
Despite their rivalry on the court, they had grown closer over the years with age and maturity. Walton’s passing is certainly something that made Kareem look back at the memorable moments they shared together.
