A lot of basketball players dont, though, they have wider wingspans. NBA teams paying closer attention to players' wingspan. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. It's much more important than your height," Kerr said. In his prime, Hakeem seemed capable of covering half the court by himself, assessing threats and snuffing them out with unnerving efficiency. Everything else is said for me or explained to me, right? Seems like our man Bill wouldve made for an interesting podcast guest! So, before you say, Shaq cant play in this era today, Im already playing. West was known for his extremely quick jump shot, and when coupled with his length, it formed one of the deadliest jump shots in NBA history. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. After achieving superstardom playing for John Woodens powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early 70s and winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, Walton was destined to become an NBA legend. It destroys the team, the Clippers Lloyd B. The cellar-dwelling Blazers had finished with the second-worst record in the league in 1973-74, and Portland fans were thrilled at the arrival of a potential franchise player. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nicknamed the Greek Freak in part because he stands 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan and giant hands. The explosive Russell Westbrook is 6-3, with a wingspan of 6-8, which helps him be one of the best rebounding guards in history. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. "It's not how big you are, it's how big you play. Warriors 7-foot center JaVale McGee went through only a handful of pre-draft workouts for NBA teams, hardly a prized prospect after a career at Nevada. I would actually love to play in this NBA, he told Jackie MacMullan and Kirk Goldsberry. Something about Hakeems game always seemed to bridge eras; sure, he was a rim-rocking dunker and an aggressive shot-swatter, like centers of the past, but damn, since when did 7-foot, 250-pounders move and shake like that? (Walton later sued the team; the case was settled out of court.). Top NBA Duos, Bears No. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. After the playoffs Walton demanded to be traded and accused Portland management with providing him poor medical treatment. Former American Basketball Player. Those who knew Walton the basketball player recognized him as a devastating force. Warriors 7-foot center JaVale McGee went through only a handful of pre-draft workouts for NBA teams, hardly a prized prospect after a career at Nevada. Its much more important than your height, Kerr said. How Tall Is Bill Walton? Portland won 11 more games in 1974-75 than in the previous year but failed to live up to its potential, largely because of Waltons health troubles. Jones keyed several championship runs in Boston, both as one of its players and later as its coach. (The arrangement was not unprecedented; Elgin Baylor squeezed in a game a week for the Lakers in 1962 while serving in the Army Reserve.) I was born tall, he said. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. Its legit. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. He didn't often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. He is also one of the greatest college . Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. Plus, a Salt Lake City Recap. Walton also used the time off to attend Stanford law school. The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . Any time you think you're too small to make a difference in the world you've never spent the night alone in bed with a mosquito. Free) fumed to the San Diego Union at the time. Then came what many felt was the death knell of Waltons career. In 49 playoff games he averaged 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds. Walton once again had the chance to play for a world champion, and his childhood hopes of playing for the Celtics were realized. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nicknamed the Greek Freak in part because he stands 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan and giant hands. (Im thinking of Channing Frye, but by all means, insert your preferred end-of-the-rotation stretch big here.) Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. A half-century ago, Pink Floyd unleashed a classic that still lingers on the Billboard charts and in college dorms to this day. But I've grown into it." Photos by PR Photos Its nothing that I heard about until I got to the league, or right before I got into the league, theyre like, Wed like to measure your wingspan. They dont really bring it up to us about that in college or high school.. The idea was to expose the bones to less stress when Waltons feet hit the ground, particularly after skying high for a dunk or rebound. The Trail Blazers finished the season 58-24 and Walton received the NBA MVP award. I see opportunities that should be rejected, but it scores. With one of the strongest lineups in NBA history, Boston steamrolled through the regular season, compiling a 67-15 record. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. Even so, the collection of skills at that size, with that flair, and with the athleticism to play like a point guard at 7-foot-3 would be intoxicating to watch nowa perfect fit for where the center position is, and where it could go from here. Also find all Bollywood Movie Information related to release date, Reviews, Web Series Information and celebrities, gossips, and entertainment news. Beginning with college games, with his outspoken nature fully blossomed, he became one of the best in the NBA. Browsing: bill walton wingspan How Tall Is Bill Walton? The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Durant, the reigning NBA Finals MVP , is quick to point out that his length allows him to make up for other areas, including being far leaner than most NBA players. Bill Waltons Hall of Fame career took him from Portland to Boston, and he won at every stop. They can control the basketball, they can do things with it. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Stay tuned for more updates on LatestinBollywood. Even if we set aside his infamous bedroom claimswhich, of course, we most certainly would notWilt still would be an object of unbridled fascination today. But todays players arent the only ones with the right skills to tick those boxes; plenty of their predecessors could, too. CelebHeights.com Rob Paul 2004-2023. I am not even joking; he did this during a Michigan State vs. North Carolina basketball game back in 2017. Walton played in 55 games in 1983-84 and 67 in 1984-85, while the Clippers won 30 and 31 games, respectively. Here was a man who once claimed to have bested a mountain lion in single combat. A lot of basketball players don't, though, they have wider wingspans. Now, Im not saying that, if you plopped him into todays NBA, Memo would suddenly become the sort of 7-foot Steph you could build an offense around. He wanted to be loved more than anything else, and yet he was convinced that nobody loves Goliath.. He acquired Walton by sending popular forward Cedric Maxwell to the Clippers along with a first-round draft pick. Its like you went through MyCareer in NBA 2K and decided to never let any teammates rack up a single box score statisticonly it actually happened in real life, and it went on for about a decade and a half. Walton enjoyed a blazing start as a rookie, averaging 16.0 ppg, 19.0 rpg, 4.4 apg and 4 bpg in his first seven contests. In the midst of those broadcasting days, Walton was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Walton refractured the navicular bone in the fourth exhibition game of the 1979-80 season and played only 14 regular-season contests, averaging 13.9 points. That reaction underlines another reason Id love to see him now: Hed be an unbelievably alluring subject for modern media coveragea larger-than-life character whose outsize public figure would be rivaled only by his raw-nerve sensitivity. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. And he was cocky, even to the Trail Blazers coaching staff. Give It the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. Free (later World B. They were the last games he would play for more than two seasons, in which the Clippers won only 36 and 17 games, respectively. The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. His aptly titled 2016 memoir Back from the Dead distills and expands Bill's essence in a rambling narrative that, . Id never had a player say anything like that to me before. But he had never coached Bill Walton. He returned for the Blazers postseason opener, but despite a pain-killing injection before Game 2, he couldnt continue past halftime; subsequent X-rays revealed a broken navicular bone. LDS Church wants to light up a temple in a place that prides itself on dark skies, For husband-and-wife team, this new restaurant is the culmination of a decadeslong dream. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Wingspan is one detail Warriors coach Steve Kerr takes seriously and might consider when deciding on lineups and rotations for the defending champions. The Trail Blazers lost the series in six games and the services of Walton forever. Thats kind of a rule of thumb. K.C. Im not as fast laterally, Im not as athletic, Im not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length, said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. (Or, for that matter, pushed the sliders all the way up on his son Domantas Sabonis, an excellent modern player and All-Star in his own right. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. Glass Onion Brought Knives Out to the Next Level. In todays NBA, the best offenses weaponize the threat of the 3-point shot to spread the floor; the best defenses scheme ways for long, smart ber-athletes to erase that space; and the best players tilt that spatial battle in their teams favor. Still, foot problems continued to hamper the young center, and fans started wondering what the Blazers had gotten themselves into. Position C/PF. The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . The Celtics' legendary playmaker is the only person in NBA history to win MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year in a career. I was born tall, he said. ), People dont understand that when he was younger, Sabonis was a perimeter player and he played facing the basket, longtime NBA coach George Karl, who had gotten an up-close look at him during two stints coaching in Europe, told Abrams. Center Bill Walton played 10 seasons for 3 teams. He was named to the Pacific 8 All-Conference first team 3 times and was Pac-8 Conference Player of the Year for three consecutive years. Divac was pretty spry for a giant, ably running the floor to create for others or to finish plays as the trailer, and he used his length and instincts to be a disruptive defender, averaging about 3.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) per 36 minutes during his Lakers tenure. In fact, some of them might have translated even better to todays leagueand might have been even more enjoyable to watch in the 2020 NBA than they were in their heyday. I had no problem with him during the season, Wooden told the Los Angeles Times. Then, in February,. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Off the floor I worried. When it comes to Arizona, he prefers to refer to the Wildcats as "the kitties." Its also worth noting what led to the blossoming of Wilts playmaking in the late 60s: He reportedly wanted to dispel the notion that he was a selfish player. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. Portland fell to the bottom of the Pacific Division in 1975-76, though Walton started to come into his own, scoring 16.1 ppg, pulling down 13.4 rpg and demonstrating excellent passing skills from the low- or high-post in 51 contests. How Tall Is Bill Walton?- Bill Walton is an American sportscaster and former professional retired basketball player. In an article in the Boston Herald, McHale said of Walton: You watch an old, old guy like that, with the most hammered body in sports, acting like a high school kid its both funny and inspiring at the same time. Woodens Bruins, which also included future NBA star Keith Wilkes (later Jamaal Wilkes), posted an 86-4 record and won two national titles during Waltons years on the team. The NBA playoffs begin Saturday, and an extra inch of reach can lead to a blocked shot or steal that might alter a series or a season. Youre able to deflect the pass or block shots.. Before he got to the NBA, McGee wasnt even aware of his wingspan. West only stood 6'2 which would make his wingspan 9.5% greater than his height. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. But Waltons history of injury didnt keep the Portland Trail Blazers from making the gangly ex-Bruin the No. Every asset that a player has might make up for something else. In his best yearthe 2006-07 campaign, when he earned his first and only All-Star nodOkur averaged 18 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point range on 4.2 attempts per game. At age 32 and with his comeback drawing to an inevitable end, Walton wanted more than just to be playing. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. After several Celtics said they liked the idea of having Walton as a teammate and as a backup for workhorses Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, Red Auerbach made the deal happen. Both Walton and the Clippers improved over the next two years. Chamberlains monstrous numbers would surely come down in a modern context, if for no other reason than he wouldnt have as many chances to pile them up. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Walton appeared in 80 games in 1985-86, 13 more than his previous career high. Dude was a chiseled-from-granite gazelle with rocket boosters in his heels, a legit Defensive Player of the Year who could fit into any style or tempo. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. He didnt often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. The staggering array of injurieswhich would require some three-dozen surgical procedures over the yearscost Walton three full seasons in what should have been his prime and kept him from ever experiencing the sort of professional success for which he seemed destined while starring for John Wooden. Chances are, Chris Ballard wrote in his excellent book The Art of a Beautiful Game, the mobile big man and sweet-shooting 7-footer could have emerged at an earlier time in the games history if players had been given the opportunity. Well, friends: Let us, one last time, use our collective powers of imagination to grant that opportunity. According to Ramsay, I was speechless. That would be pretty rad, because Orlando Shaq could fuckin move, man: Maintaining that staggering combination of power and quickness would be critical for a modern-day ONeal. He even broke a toe on a water sprinkler and hurt his leg in a jeep accident. His arms are long and he can block shots. Bill Walton, byname of William Theodore Walton III, (born November 5, 1952, La Mesa, California, U.S.), American collegiate and professional basketball player who is considered one of the best all-around post players in the sport's history. 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