NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is fondly reflecting upon his close friend and fellow UCLA basketball alum Bill Walton. Walton passed away at the age of 71 after his battle with cancer. The former Portland Trail Blazers star made a tremendous impact on the basketball world. Abdul-Jabbar shared some emotional thoughts about Walton in a personal note.
Abdul Jabbar's passage was captured by the description of his article titled “Bill Walton was My Rival, My Brother, and My Close Friend.” The description read the following:
“He had wanted to be more like me on the court and I wanted to be more like him off the court,” per the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Substack site.
Abdul-Jabbar told the story of how he and Walton met and formed a common ground. Both centers shared UCLA roots, although Abdul-Jabbar was a few years ahead of Walton. Below is a key excerpt that describes the nature of Abdul-Jabbar and Walton's relationship.
“Bill was like a younger brother to me. At first, like many brothers, our relationship was purely competitive. He was determined to prove that he was as good a basketball player as I was, maybe even better. To his credit, there was not a harder-working athlete,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
“Like Kobe Bryant, he was willing to do whatever it took to reach the next level of play. He was always pushing the limits of his abilities. I was equally determined to prove that I was and always would be better. No younger upstart crow was going to knock me from my perch. We were both centers which we took to mean center of attention. Well, we were in our twenties and that kind of stuff mattered then.”
The two centers' brotherly relationship was only one highlight of their friendship.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continues fond reflection of Bill Walton
Abdul-Jabbar spoke about his and Walton's NBA rivalry, saying he was humbled when Walton's Trail Blazer swept his Los Angeles Lakers in the 1977 Western Conference Finals. Abdul-Jabbar said their rivalry became replaced by friendship. They had a lot in common off the court such as musical inclination and the fact that they were both shy and “socially awkward” as kids, the latter of which the pairing used basketball to help them grow outside their comfort zone.
The NBA legend ended his thoughts on Walton with a poem that described the sadness and anger he felt about his friend's passing. He noted the final stanza of W. H. Auden’s poem “Funeral Blues.”
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Abdul-Jabbar acknowledged his grief, but he also claimed that Walton would not want him to remain down.
“Despite my grief, there is much joy in knowing that Bill can still make me happy. And always will. In life, that is the only legacy that matters,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
Bill Walton made a great impact on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and countless people in the basketball community. His legacy will continue to be cherished by his close friends, family, and those around the world.
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