1977 Bill Walton Was PEAK Basketball

1. My favorite player and that championship team was the way basketball was meant to be played. In my humble opinion 😊

2. One of best college careers ever and the biggest what if for Centers ever!

3. Walton belongs in the top tier of NBA players.

4. Bill Walton, counted out? Well, no.

5. Portland would have won multiple titles if Bill hadn't gotten hurt.

6. We got James Worthy for that blond dude. You all remember Don Ford right?

7. The UCLA winning streak was 88 games.

8. He caught Phil Smith’s jump shot. He just went straight up and caught it with both hands. Never saw anything like it.

9. Bill was more popular than Jesus

10. I swear Bill Walton could've been what Nikola Jokic is in the 1970s, Bill wasn't too concerned with scoring 30 pts, he'd have 18-20 pts 17 rebs 4-5 assist and 3 or 4 blocks, Bill Walton played the game the right, Team first!

11. Walton when healthy is a top 10player. I think its noteworthy to point out that the supporting cast he won with in 1977, altho they played their roles well, they were the kinda supporting cast Wilt Chamberlain would have lost in the playoffs with and then thrown under the bus. If Walton stays healthy Portland may have been sitting on a dynasty that lasts until the arrival of Magic and Larry, and if he hadnt gotten injured in 1986-87 the Celtics would have repeated and no1 would be talking about the 87Lakers as an alltime great team.

12. Truth be told. Bill Walton was the best basketball player on the planet in 1977 and 1978.

13. Did some research a while back:

    76-77 Portland Trail Blazers @ home w Bill Walton playing

    32 wins 2 losses

    77 Playoffs @ home

    10 wins 0 losses

    77-78 Portland Trail Blazers @ home w Walton

    30 wins 1 loss

    total of 72 wins 3 losses in Portland during Walton's peak

    No shit 96% win rate. Top that.

14. In my opinion, he was only two good feet away from being the greatest all-around center of all time.

15. The 1976-‘77 Blazers team as a thing of beauty. I have never seen basketball played so perfectly since that time.

16. 30.3 ppg vs. 19.3 ppg. Big difference! Walton did not out duel Kareem. Those other stats were close.

17. Peak Bill Walton was the best center I have ever seen play. His all around game and fundamentals were superb!

18. It would have been something to see what else he would have accomplished if not for injuries.

19. Im glad that Bill was able to get away from the atrocious Clippers "organization" and show the fans his true capabilities one more time (with Boston) before retiring.

20. It's funny how people now forget that Walton was a complete bust until Maurice Lucas came along.

21. ❤

22. Bill Walton put up a legendary stat line of 20 points, 23 rebounds, 7 assists, and 8 blocks in Game 6 of the 1977 NBA Finals.

23. He could have been the best ever all around centrr

24. Anyone who saw Bill Walton's UCLA team go undefeated in two straight years, saw Walton hit 20 of 21 FGs (!) to beat Memphis State for the 1973 NCAA title, and saw Walton's Portland team win the 1977 NBA Championship knows that Walton is an all-time great.

25. Huge player UCLA legend with jabbar and NBA famous player rip Bill Walton respect

26. Like it was like yesteryear….😅

27. In my opinion — just one man's opinion here, so take it or leave it — had Bill Walton not been born with genetic defects in his knees and feet, which is why he got injured so often (he writes about in detail in his autobiography), I feel he would have gone on to become ONE OF THEE best NBA centers to have ever played the game. 👍

    This 1977 season with the Portland Trailblazers was definitely special. But to really get a feel for just how good he was, I would direct one to study his 1986 season with the Boston Celtics. His knees and feet were so fragile and broken down that he had no right to even be on the court, yet Red Auerbach took a chance on him, and Walton went on to win the "Best Sixth Man" award, coming off the bench to display the magic he still possessed. He was still capable of pulling down double-digit rebounds; he was still capable of blocking multiple shots in a single game; he could still pass like an overgrown Magic Johnson. You watch him in that season and think to yourself, "Man, just think of what he could be doing if he had a healthy body to play in." ❤

28. Walton was like the Bird of Big men,lol,in those days!!Even tho Larry was not quite ready for the NBA just yet,he was coming!!

29. He was a radical liberal who didn't like to shower. I'm sure his teammates appreciated that funky action.

30. Throw it down big man, throw it down!

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