Bill Walton passed away at the age of 71 The two-time NBA champion and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer succumbed to his prolonged battle with cancer on Monday morning.
His death comes with poetic timing that brings a sense of peace.
Walton won two national championships at UCLA and was three times named as the National College Player of the Year during his four years with the Bruins. Outside of his family, and perhaps the Grateful Dead, there were few things in life that the legendary center loved more than Pac-12 basketball.
Bill Walton and the Pac-12 are one.
After his professional basketball career came to a close, Walton became a vocal champion for the Conference of Champions. He partnered with ESPN and the Pac-12 Network in 2012 to serve as a full-time broadcast analyst for West Coast basketball. His relationship with the conference led to many tremendous on-air moments alongside Dave Pasch throughout the years.
Walton voiced the opening for the Pac-12 Tournament as recently as 2023.
It was not Pac-12 Basketball After Dark if the sultry sound of Walton’s voice was not on the call. Even if the game itself was a snoozer, the UCLA and NBA legend made it must-watch television.
Regardless of reality, Walton never failed to make it seem like both teams on the floor could compete for a national title. He always went above and beyond to promote Pac-12 superiority. He often lacked knowledge of other conferences and players because his focus was so singular, which only made his time on the mic even better.
Next year’s late-night broadcasts are going to look — and sound — very different without Bill Walton on the call. However, the timing of his eternal rest is rather serendipitous.
The Pac-12 will not exist next year. 10 of the 12 schools are bolting for other conferences. Washington State and Oregon State were forced to adopt a Mountain West schedule. They the lone descendants of the Pacific Coast Conference, which was founded in 1915.
With the Pac-12 gone, as is Walton. There is a tranquility to that synchronicity and he was surrounded by loved ones at the time of his passing.