RIP Big Red. My favorite video/subject ever. I hope I did him proud.

Came back here after Bill Walton sadly passed away today. Rest in peace, legend.

While I love Clayton's "making the case" videos, I think this type is much more suited to his storytelling, where he does not have to make long arguments or debate greatness, but just be romantic about basketball.

Here after Bill’s death. This is one of your most captivating and well-made videos, thank you for sharing a story that would otherwise go unknown by thousands. RIP Bill Walton.

I hope that Clayton gets to be on a basketball podcast like Thinking Basketball or Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball Podcast because having these kinds of discussions would be so good.

came to pay my respects. RIP to the legend

Coming here after his death. Rest in peace, Bill Walton 🐐❤️

Clayton’s content is the definition of quality over quantity.

I only wish I had 10% of Bill's positivity. He always seems to be thrilled to live the life he has.

Bill Walton is a fascinating “what if?”. Walton was incredible at his peak. I highly recommend Thinking Basketball’s video on him to learn even more about how good Walton was at his peak.

As a dude with a stutter, Bill Walton is a huge inspiration for me cus he overcame his stutter and became a sports commentator. I know it’s a pretty minor thing but still means a lot to me.

I got to meet Bill Walton twice, many years apart. Amazing to me is he remembered me from many years earlier!

Rest in piece Bill Walton ❤️

I don’t think there’s any doubt at all, a healthy Bill Walton would have set the league on fire for the next 10 to 12 years. Great video… Thank you

I’m so glad to have found someone who talks about more then “ who’s better? What were their stats? How many championships?”. The ending bit with Walton and Bird is such a wonderful piece of storytelling and gives me so much appreciation for the narratives sports can bring us. Thank you Clayton, and well done. Edit: I can’t wait to see ones for Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Kevin Garnett, Hakeem Olajuwon and so many more.

Bill Walton was special. His passing, his vision and his abilities were incredible. Took a little bit of Russell’s philosophy and led his team to a championship with great defence and playmaking with minimal shots needed from himself. Walton trusted his team enough to shoot these shots. I love guys like Jordon and chamberlain but players like Russell and Walton who learned early to pass the ball, idk they stick out to me a little bit more. No disrespect to the guys I’ve just mentioned at all. They are incredible scorers and crush Russell and Walton in this. But in playmaking and trusting your teammates, I’d say they were just a little better. Great video and I love the series already

An episode on arvydas sabonis would be interesting, even if it’s hard to get too much film of him he is absolutely a legend.

RIP Bill - A true legend

Arvydas Sabonis has a legitimate claim for the greatest "What if?" as well. If he was able to come over in 86 when he was drafted before his body gave out he might have been able to change the basketball landscape in the Jordan era.

When he was healthy he was one of the best centers ever. However injuries derailed his career. He was a beauty to watch. Excellent fundamentals!

Passing my respects to a great player and greater human being... R.I.P Bill Walton

This video legit brought me to a few tears. My old man, RIP, he loved Bill Walton. I love Bill Walton. I had his Celtics poster in my room growing up. I have wished for years that the average fan would appreciate how great he was, and he really was taken down by injuries.

What a great player, competitor and interesting human. The fact he could play in 86 was a miracle. His level of play and durability that year was impossible to believe. The fact he spent the night at Larry's house celebrating and basking in the presence of another basketball savant and good friend is a great ending to a short but fabulous career of one of the greatest Centers to ever play the game. That championship trail blazer team with Maurice Lukas was incredible and they were even better the following year until Bill was hurt. He was a player that made everybody better. A real force multiplier.

Walton was an absolutely amazing player who could do everything. If he had healthy wheels he would be an all time great.

I remember when the NBA 75th Anniversary team was announced, tons of people were saying Bill Walton shouldn’t have made it. Saying he was injured too often, and only had “4 good seasons”. Meanwhile Walton had accomplished more in one season than several of the players people claimed were snubbed from the 75th Anniversary team.

I started playing and watching basketball in the mid '60s, Wilt, Kareem, Bill Russell and Walton were by far the best centers of that era. When Walton was healthy nobody could stop his game. He fit in perfectly with the Celtics. I'd love to see Pistol Pete playing with Walton and Bird during their primes. It would have been beautiful...

Clayton, because I saw this video when it came out, I was emotional when Bill Walton passed away. Thanks for telling this story so well. RIP Bill Walton

You make some of the most cinematic, emotional basketball mini documentaries I've ever seen. I can't believe you haven't been hired by 30:30 or E60 yet

Who’s here after Bill Walton died? 😢

Per 36 min, that championship year with the Celtics, Walton averaged 14pts 13reb 4ast 2.5 blk. 33yr old with major injuries and way past his prime. What a nice finish to his career. At his peak per 36, he was 20pts 14reb 5ast 4blk. Solid scorer, great passer for a center, great rebounder and great defensive player. He would certainly be top 20 all time discussion, maybe even better.

unlike baseball, Basketball actually rewards the best players in the game. Walton is in the basketball HOF. He only played a handful of full seasons. He was hurt all the time, but he's in the HOF for what he did when he wasn't hurt. Walton was averaging 18 PPG, 14 Rebounds, and 5 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks per game when he was at his peak. All around brilliance from one of the great centers of all time.

Came back to this after hearing about Waltons Passing. THANK YOU, BIG BILL WALTON R.I.P

RIP Legend

The Red Auerbach story made my eyes tear up. Walton just wanted one more chance . . .

I’m so glad you mentioned Walton was significantly taller than his listed height, dude was a giant

Had to revisit this gem. The ending with Bill Walton just soaking in the post championship bliss in Bird's kitchen is everything

Portland native here. My favorite Walton story is from after the championship in ‘77. The victory parade was happening downtown. Members of the team were speaking at the podium to the crowd. Walton gets up, announces that someone stole his bicycle, describes the bicycle, and asks for help locating it. Rumor is, he spent considerable time searching for it after the parade. Various locals still have stories about being at the parade and being approached by Bill asking after his missing bicycle.

25:51 Poetic Man R.I.P BIG BILL WALTON

Bill Walton was actually that good. And then a gigantic "what if he was able to stay healthy his entire career" He would have been included in every discussion of the goat.

I have always thought this since the 44pt UCLA game. Had I done sports documentaries this is exactly the one I would have done. At least, unlike the tragedy of Bo Jackson, Walton had his day. My favorite guy in basketball.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Clayton Crowley is THE best NBA historian we have on KZfaq. Thank you for your work.

Watching him play against Jabbar in the playoffs was must see tv. Bill was amazing. Could do it all.

Bill Walton seems like such a likable person its just so sad that he was plagued with so many injuries

Great job. Loved Bill as a UCLA Bruin and and as a Boston Celtic. His 77 season with the Trailblazers also affirmed as a b-ball great. Yes, What if? But also what was!

I came here because I first heard about this beautiful man from this video. Please rest peacefully.

my fave player ever.... won 134 straight games in HS-UCLA he was an anomaly, a talent far ahead of his time.

I got to watch Bill Walton play college ball whenever a U.C.L.A. game come on tv in lndiana , born in 1962 l was just a young kid but a baller , Walton was a complete fundamentally sound team lst player , l loved how he used the backboard on turn around shots , l would take a ball to the school yard & practice my bank shot for hours , l watched how he blocked out & used his arms to clear out opponents for rebounds , l would copy his fundamentals for my game . Felt bad when l watched Notre Dame end their 88 game win streak , bottom line in Walton was a force at U.C.L.A. & that's how l remember Bill . Another force in college but injuries hampered his pro game was Austin Carr Notre Dame .

This is a top notch history lesson. Bill Walton lived up to all expectations! Even though the injuries dampened his career, he took the cards he was dealt and made the best of them.

This one hits hard Clayton, good job

Clayton, I don’t know if you realize what is happening here, but I’ll tell you. You aren’t just making fun KZfaq videos anymore. You’re becoming a filmmaker. What this is is a truly beautiful short documentary film. It’s not just a solid argument. It’s not just engaging or entertaining. It’s poignant. It’s heartbreaking. It’s moving. It’s beautiful. I think this is your best work, and I can’t wait to see what you do next. Bravo, sir!

Bill Walton was one of my all time favorite basketball players!

Walton was the best passing, most intelligent center I ever saw when he was healthy. That year he had in Portland was amazing. One of the best any center ever had.

I grew up watching Bill Walton from the UCLA days. This brought back so many memories.

I've watched Bill Walton play in various games and my goodness, he could play.

Rip goat, had to come back here after i heard the news today.

It was really great when Bill and Larry played together. It was one of the greatest season ever.

Walton was one greatest when healthy. UCLA had Kareem and then Bill. What a dynasty.

I followed his career at UCLA so , I had to follow him at Portland and when he was healthy Walton was incredible. Fantastic passer , shot blocker and when he wanted scorer too.

RIP Bill Walton

Clayton needs to do a voice over docu-series for ESPN one day man Update: the story at the end has me crying, what an orator you are Clayton

RIP Bill Walton, he will live on in NBA history and mythology.

Bro you got me crying over here. Walton has always been one of my favorite players and this just solidified why. Thank you for this, Clayton. Thank you.

I have great respect for the talent of Bill Walton. Because of what he did even thru an injury filled career. Definitely the biggest What If in NBA history

Best college player I've ever seen. Best bank shot, best rebounder, best passing big man, best shot blocker, incredible at reading the floor, team leader. Kareem was second-best.

This actually made me tear up a little. Damn injuries stripped us of his potential but thank God Bill was able to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time.

100% agree about Walton being the biggest "What If?" I can't help but wonder how much his injury woes all trace back to the fall at Washington St. He has to wear a back brace in its aftermath, which maybe alters the way he jumps or moves, which leads to a foot injury, which makes him shoot differently, which leads to a finger injury, etc. Compensating for one injury leads to the next. If there was some way to stop the first domino in that chain from toppling, how much different could his career have been? I always think of the great NBA centers as "The Magnificent Seven:" Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, Malone, O'Neal, Olajuwon, Robinson, and Russell. If Bill Walton had just had a normal level of injuries, I think that would unquestionably be a group of eight great centers, and Walton would be right there among them...

I was 28, living south of Boston in ‘86, saw a lot of Celtic’s basketball over the years, but that’s the year that I’ll remember the most. Knew Bill was playing on borrowed time and that that one year was pretty much all we’d ever see, but what a glorious year it was. Never saw a team play so well, so in sync, and having so much fun at the same time. Thanks for telling Bill’s story with such warmth.

I was fortunate to grow up being able to watch him play, I always had great respect for Bill. As a Celtics fan I was so happy when he joined the team and watched the entire 86 season. Bill was an incredibly gifted player and I hope he is playing pain free right now. RIP Bill.

One of the most skilled big men in nba history. Sad that we didn’t get to see his full potential😔

As a Blazers fan this was beautiful and I learned a lot

Before I watch this I have to comment. Bill Walton is the absolute king of the outlet pass setting up the fast break. I loved watching him play. Now to go watch this and see if they agree.

What a fine entertaining and informative production this is. What a beast Bill Walton was on the court for several years before his devastating injuries that plagued much of his career, until the '86 season with the Celtics.

Clayton, you never stop surprising us, the storytelling, the content, structure... This episode was amazing, I actually cried. Bless you

One of the very best college players ever. God knows how great he could have been without the injuries. He was a great passer, he could shoot, rebound and block shots.

I can’t give you enough “Thumbs Ups” for this video. You brought me all the way back to when I saw Walton play ridiculously well with Larry. Walton was that guy in College. I wish he could have had a longer NBA career

This hurt 😢 such good man great speaker. Definitely will miss him. Thanks for the memories Bill 😢

One of the things I remember about that 1986 Finals was Walton's tackle of Ralph Sampson during a brawl. Sampson himself would become one of the game's great "what-ifs".

you remind me so much of thinking basketball. Your love for walton speaks volume about your bball iq. I got walton as top 5 iq player all time

Great story! Thanks for putting it together...

Rip Bill, you were one of the greatest players to ever do it, a true character and legend of the game.

You offer the most refreshing and respectable basketball content on KZfaq and you have my undying respect. Good work Clayton.

God damn it Clayton, how do you manage to always bring up such a quality piece of audivisual narratives? EVERY. SINGLE. TIME? I loved it, every minute of it. That conclusion was just poetry. here's to the legend of Bill Walton!

I loved Bill Walton because of my dad. We lived in Vancouver, WA, across the river from Portland just a couple miles, so they were our team instead of the Sonics in 1976 when they won the championship. In 1977, my dad got a job just north of Seattle when the Blazers and Sonics both made the finals. It was awesome. The Pacific NW never had any professional trophies until then. Both the Seattle Mariners and the Seahawks were brand new expansion teams in 1977 and 1978, so before that, basketball was it. And of course both of them sucked for years. I remember walking into the brand new Kingdoms for the first time when I was 7 years old. So yeah, Bill Walton had a huge impact on a little boy back then. Thanks so much for creating this video. It means a lot.

Bill Walton was so stupidly good before his injuries. He truly is a guy that would be a Top 10 player in NBA history & easily in the discussion as best big man ever. He had that sky high IQ & ability to see the floor. Could be a Point Center type of guy, then erase your best player at the rim on the Defensive end. Something hauntingly beautiful about this video. It reminds me of another ALMOST redemption story involving another candidate for greatest college player in history. Pete Maravich. Spent his career on terrible teams that didn't appreciate him. Never won a Championship. Tore his ACL(back in those days that was an even more serious injury than it is now). He joined up with the Celtics in Bird's historic Rookie season. He started getting his legs back late in the year. He was primed for a return to Superstardom. He was ready to be the running mate to Larry Legend. Long story short (look up Puntgate for all the details), Pete got pissed at the coach & retired. The Celtics went on to win the Championship the year Pete retired. He passed away on the basketball court less than a decade later. That would be an amazing video subject. Pete is one of the most interesting characters in NBA history. He went through so much, but he dosen't get credit for how truly incredible & revolutionary he was.

An absolute epic encapsulation of one of the most prolific, and unique players in NCAA/NBA history. Thanks for this!

Amazing video, such a beautiful narrative. Regardless of age and injuries, the footage of him and Bird is astounding... Remarkable!

RIP to Bill. Still one of the great videos of all time about one of the truly great players of all time.

Walton is the classic case for why people can't just look at stats to define someone. Walton had so much more of an impact on the court than a guy who scored a career best 19 ppg. He was the 70's version of Tim Duncan. He didn't score a ton of points, but was an anchor whose teams just won when he was healthy. Plus passer, efficient scorer, great rebounder, underrated shot blocker, and the rare pivot man that elevated the cast of characters around him. Even Jabbar couldn't say that...he was a better individual player, but couldn't do what Walton did with that 77 Blazers team. And the 78 Blazers team is along with the 73 Celtics, the biggest injury what if team in NBA history. Walton won the MVP despite only playing 58 games...Portland was 50-10 and absolutely cruising towards a repeat title. Head and shoulders better than anyone in the league when he got hurt against Philly. 49-9 with him and 11-19 without him including the six game Western semis loss to Seattle. And basically robbed of his prime with his feet injuries.

Easily your best one yet. I've always said Walton had the potential to be the best ever, makes me sad for him. Thanks for this.

Man this one gave me legit goosebumps several times…well done Clayton. Well done.

Bill Waton was also the tallest Deadhead I ever saw.. Sometimes hard to see past him at the shows, but he was always nice to me when i said hello or asked him how his terrible foot was doing. I'm so glad that he was able to join Boston in the mid-80's and help the team greatly. I was a little too young to watch him in his prime at UCLA or on the Blazers but i remember my basketball cards of him on Portland. I always loved his rock and roll wild west persona, beard, head band. He was wild in his own way like Dr. J, James Silas and Artis Gilmore etc. etc. were wild with their great African-American fashions during the 70's during their ABA and NBA years. Plus the short shorts were tight !

In my mind, this is the saddest story in the history of the NBA. So glad you gave it the happy ending that Bill deserved.

Ah man this put me close to tears, what an incredible athlete and person! Best breakdown of his career I have ever seen.

There are so many candidates for the nbas greatest what if, but one that I think is actually an underrated candidate for that title is Larry bird. You may be think what I mean and what I mean is that he played 8/13 seasons with debilitating and chronic back problems. Imagine what he could’ve been able to do if he didn’t have to deal with that every time he stepped onto the court for the majority of his career. I think bird is underrated in all time lists as he’s always outside the top 5 and behind magic and sometimes around 10 behind a guy like Kobe. To me he’s number 5 or 6 and ahead of magic whose overrated for a number of reasons that I’m not going to get into rn. But my point is that bird actually would have a case as the goat had he performed better in the postseason as there were a handful of times he didn’t play up to standards. Much of this can be attributed to playing near 40 minutes a game in the regular season while hardly ever missing games until the 89 season. The load of his minutes, lack of rest from playing almost every game, the physicality from teams like Detroit, and the back problems were an obvious hindrance on his ability to sustain his all time regular season play deep into playoff runs. Had he been in more favorable circumstances, weather that be fewer minutes, more rest games, not injuring his back, or not playing in the most physical era in history, which all would’ve led to a longer career as well, not just 13 seasons. He probably would’ve been able to piece together an undeniable top 2 resume. Also have to factor in the fact that Jordan (although imo the 1 or 2 all time) never had a player on his level in the 90’s but bird had magic his whole career. How much better would birds accolades have been with mvps championships etc had he gotten jordans luck and not had a true equal for his entire career? Btw this also factors into kareems legacy, as his prime was played in by far the weakest era ever (70’s), and he had no player on his level to rival him which lead to accolades going to him more times than if he would’ve had an equal. Wilt retired, Walton was injured, talent was being taken away from the league by drug addicts and the aba.

I had no idea that he was from San Diego!!! A lot of my friends went to helix and it’s only a mile from my house. That’s crazy, San Diego is mad under appreciated

I was at some of those home games. It was pure magic watching the 86 Celtics. Imo, the best team to ever walk onto a court.

this is great, actually bringing tears to my eyes. wish i could somehow feel what Bill Walton and the blazers were doing at that time

The crazy thing about Walton is that he is a what if, and is still one of the 25/30 greatest players ever. People overrated the longevity argument. Anyone who tells me they’d rather have 15/20 years of guys like AI, Harden, Wilkins, Westbrook, Nash, Malone or Barkley over 3 transcendent seasons of Walton don’t understand who hard winning is. 21 men have been the best player in a regular season and a championship. Walton is one of them.

RIP Bill 😢

Rest in piece to a legend❤