Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls great and Naismith Hall of Fame member Chet Walker has died, his former team confirmed Saturday. He was 84 years old.
Nicknamed “Chet the Jet” for his speed on the court, Walker played 13 professional seasons, was an NBA All-Star in seven of those seasons and won a championship with the Sixers in 1967. He retired after settling a lawsuit between the Bulls and the NBA, but never missed a playoff game in his career.
Chet Walker spent the first seven seasons of his Hall of Fame career with our franchise, winning a championship in 1967. Affectionately known as “The Jet,” Walker had a huge impact on our city and our league.
Our condolences go out to the Walker family and friends. pic.twitter.com/jbc9ZHQyYt
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) June 9, 2024
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Chet Walker, a legendary figure in our team's history.
A member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Chet left an indelible mark on the court and in the hearts of fans. He played six seasons with the Bulls from 1969-1975… pic.twitter.com/NKK2x7N6cu
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 9, 2024
The Mississippi native played collegiately at Bradley University, leading the Braves to NIT championships in 1957 and 1960. He was a unanimous two-time first-team All-American and left Bradley as its all-time leading scorer, a position he currently holds as fifth on the team's list.
The Seventies, then known as the Syracuse Nationals, selected Walker with the 12th overall pick in the second round of the 1962 NBA Draft. After a successful rookie season, the team relocated to Philadelphia and Walker developed into a perennial All-Star.
Led by Wilt Chamberlain and featuring Walker and Hal Grier, the 1967 Sixers defeated the Boston Celtics in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals to become the first team to win a playoff game since 1958. The Sixers then went on to win the franchise's second championship, defeating the San Francisco Warriors, who had left Philadelphia the previous decade, in the NBA Finals.
Walker was traded to the Bulls in 1969 for Jim Washington and continued to excel, helping lead Chicago to the playoffs after a few struggling first seasons.
Walker's career ended in controversial fashion when the Bulls rejected his request for a $200,000 annual salary in 1975. After that, Walker asked to be traded or released, and when the Bulls refused, he took the team and the NBA to court for alleged antitrust violations.
Walker eventually received his settlement and opted to retire, later embarking on a second career as an author and film producer, while the Bulls went from 47 wins in the 1974-75 season to 24 wins in the 1975-76 season.
Despite a compelling argument, it took Walker decades to be inducted into the Hall of Fame; in 2007, he told the Chicago Tribune he believed he had been blacklisted because of his lawsuits and his leadership role in the players' union.
Walker was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012, at age 72.
