Larry Bird shares heartfelt statement on Bill Walton’s passing
Bill Walton, a great NBA player and personality, died on Monday at the age of 71.
Walton, a two-time NBA champion who won the title with the Boston Celtics in 1986, died after a lengthy battle with cancer. Many people turned to social media to mourn the demise of one of sports’ most popular characters.
Larry Bird, a Celtics legend, was among many who issued a statement following Walton’s death. Here’s what he tweeted about his former teammate, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps:
“I’m really sorry to hear about my close buddy Bill Walton. I adore him as a friend and comrade. It was a delight for me to play with my childhood idol, and together we won the NBA Championship in 1986. He is regarded as one of the finest players of all time. I am sure that all of my teammates are as grateful as I am that we had the opportunity to meet Bill; he was a delight to know and will be greatly missed. My family and I send our heartfelt sympathies to the Walton family.
Bird and Walton played together for two seasons, 1985-86 and 1986-87. Walton won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award while guiding Boston to the 1986 championship.
“I just wanted to mention with the passing of Walton today, how much he meant to me and so many people that I’m close to,” Carlisle stated. “I’ve been on a text message thread with our [Celtics] ’86 team, and some of the memories are just beyond priceless.”
Walton was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. In addition to his two NBA championships and Sixth Man award, he was the Finals MVP (1977), league MVP (1978), two-time All-Star (1977, 1978), two-time All-Defensive (1977, 1978), and an All-NBA First Team pick (1978).
