Rumors

“The Personal Collection of Bill Walton,” which launched yesterday and will be open for online bidding through June 11, has much of what any Walton fan would expect. There are jerseys from his UCLA and Trail Blazers years, his 1986 Boston Celtics championship ring, his 1970 passport, commemorative championship watches, and other items.

Rolling Stone

But the auction’s catalog also features 16 pages devoted to souvenirs from his years in Deadland. Among the goodies are limited-edition prints of the Europe ’72 front and back album covers signed by artist Stanley Mouse ($500 to $1,000); 13 tour books dating back to 1986 (listing itineraries, hotels where the band members were staying, and other workaday information, $250 to $500 total); the “Uncle Sam skeleton” artwork used in The Grateful Dead Movie ($500 to $1,000); and a drum cymbal autographed by the band’s Eighties lineup, including Brent Mydland ($5,000 to $7,500). (Jerry Garcia’s sense of humor is seen in his inscription: “Hey Bill! Beat this.”)

Rolling Stone

During an appearance on NBA on TNT on Tuesday night, Pritchard opened up about his achievement while talking with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley. “I mean, it's just a lot of people in the Celtics organization,” Pritchard said when asked what it's like to be the latest Boston player to win the award that is also named after one of the greatest players of the franchise. “Obviously, John Havlicek being named…Kevin McHale. Obviously, a couple of other guys, Malcolm Brogdon. When I was here with him, I watched him win it. Yeah, Bill Walton. So, yeah, this is definitely an honor.”

Clutch Points

Michael Scotto: Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is the 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year. He’s the fourth Celtic to win the award, joining Kevin McHale, Bill Walton and Malcolm Brogdon. He had the most points off the bench (1,079). He set an NBA single-season record for threes off the bench (246) pic.x.com/IiQ1ti3qBe

Twitter

Omari Sankofa II: Blazers will honor Bill Walton tonight with Luke Walton in attendance on the Pistons’ bench. JB Bickerstaff: “I hope our guys appreciate and understand how important Bill Walton was to the game and to the world … it wasn’t just his basketball game that made him unique.”

bsky.app

Yet to those who didn’t live through the Dončić experience — the front office executives, coaches and scouts who would love nothing more than to get their hands on a player of his ilk — all these justifications for the trade simply don’t compute. This is the NBA, where ego management has always been part of the equation and choir boys are hard to come by. Talent isn’t the end-all-be-all, but Dončić’s type — the transcendent kind — is so rare that it should be given every opportunity to be maximized. That’s how it was for the likes of Allen Iverson, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Walton and Larry Bird — all elite players who had their warts. That list is undeniably long, with very few able to meet the sort of standard set by Bryant or his idol, Michael Jordan (who had off-court issues of his own). As one league source put it while discussing these sorts of players, “You manage.”

New York Times

Hours before playing in the NBA All-Star Game, Stephen Curry’s voice cracked during the NBA Legends Brunch on Sunday morning when he took the podium to “honor the memories of those we lost this year.” Amidst giving posthumous honor to the likes of Al Attles, Bill Walton and Jerry West, the Golden State Warriors superstar paid respect to Dikembe Mutombo, who died Sept. 30, 2024. “Dikembe was an eight-time All-Star and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year,” Curry said. “Dikembe’s trademark finger wag after blocking a shot was the exact opposite of his selfless and welcoming nature off the court. Dikembe was a true global ambassador and humanitarian.”

Andscape

[Lune] LeBron: "I miss Bill Walton. He was always a fan of mine, always kept it real with me, and always appreciated my game. He wasn’t one of those old-school haters that we have in the NBA"

reddit

Sean Highkin: Here’s a close-up of the Bill Walton patch the Blazers will be wearing all season:

x.com

The Portland Trail Blazers will honor late Rip City legend Bill Walton with a band on their jerseys throughout the 2024-25 season. Walton passed away on May 27 at the age of 71. All of Portland’s jerseys will feature a uniquely Walton tie-dye band along the top of the left side with his “32” number in white. Fans can purchase tickets to the Bill Walton Tribute Night game HERE. A legend as vibrant and memorable as Walton deserves a fitting band, and the unique band that will don Trail Blazers jerseys this season accomplishes just that.

NBA.com

Marc J. Spears: The Portland Trail Blazers will honor late legend Bill Walton with a band on their jerseys throughout the 2024-25 season. All of Portland’s jerseys will feature a uniquely Walton tie-dye band along the top of the left side with his “32” number in white. pic.x.com/ejqe6ms4ky

Twitter

Sean Highkin: The Blazers announce that March 9’s game against Detroit will be dedicated to celebrating Bill Walton. (Worth noting: his son Luke is an assistant coach with the Pistons, so he’ll be there)

Twitter

Paying tribute to former Portland Trail Blazer and NBA champion Bill Walton, the Hollywood Theatre in Portland is screening a “rare” documentary featuring “The Big Redhead” and his time with the Blazers. The theater is screening the 1978 documentary “Fast Break,” featuring “candid Walton moments” including a bike ride along the Oregon coast, a basketball camp in Warm Springs, and footage from the 1977 NBA championship.

KOIN

Tim Bontemps: Adam Silver opens his pre-Finals press conference remembering the late, great Bill Walton, who recently passed away, and said that his wife, Lori, and four sons will be here for tonight’s game. Players on both teams will be wearing special Bill Walton warm-up shirts tonight.

Twitter