Basketball Hall of Famer and San Diego native Bill Walton died Monday after a long battle with cancer, the NBA announced. He was 71 years old.
Walton was a two-time national champion at UCLA and was named National Player of the Year in each of his three seasons there. Playing for legendary coach John Wooden, Walton led the Bruins to 30-0 seasons in 1972 and 1973.
He was the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers and was part of that team's championship team in 1977. He then won another championship with the Boston Celtics in 1986.
The NBA All-Star joined the Clippers when they moved from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1985.
“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. It said in a statement“As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center field position. His unique all-around skills made him a dominant force.”
Walton was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 1993.
A native of La Mesa, Walton first started playing basketball in his senior year at what is now St. Katharine Drexel Academy in the College Area, then went on to Mount Helix High School and continued to be a successful basketball player until enrolling at UCLA.
NBC 7's Todd Strain speaks with Bill Walton courtside in Houston after Lamont Butler's shot sent San Diego State to the NCAA championship game.
Despite his travels around the world, Walton considered himself a lifelong San Diego native and lived in a home near Balboa Park for more than 40 years.
“I love San Diego. It's the most amazing place on Earth. A welcoming city with dizzying possibilities and everything you could want,” he told the California Now blog in 2020.
In recent years, Walton has opposed Mayor Todd Gloria's handling of the city's homeless issue and has spoken publicly about the issue at press conferences.
Walton could often be seen playing drums in local Grateful Dead cover band, the Electric Waste Band, which at one time played regularly at Winston's in Ocean Beach.
The NBA said Walton died surrounded by his family, including his wife, Lori, and his four sons, Adam, Nathan, Luke and Chris.
This story is being updated…
