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One of the greatest players ever in Chicago Bulls history has died, with the NBA Players Association announcing the death of Basketball Hall of Famer Chet Walker at the age of 84.
Long before Michael Jordan arrived on the scene in Windy City, there was Walker, who played six seasons for the Bulls from 1969 to 1975. During his time with the Bulls, Walker averaged 20.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists through 474 games while shooting 47.0 percent from the field.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Chet Walker, a legendary figure in our team's history,” the Bulls said in a statement shared on X (the social media platform formerly called Twitter).
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and all who were touched by his legacy. Chet Walker will forever be remembered as a true Chicago Bulls icon.”
A seven-time NBA All-Star, Walker played a big — if not the biggest — role in the Bulls' competitive years in the 1970s. Chicago appeared in the playoffs each year during Chet Walker's tenure with the team. Acquired by Chicago via a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, Walker led the Bulls in Win Shares in every season he wore Chicago threads. Perhaps his best Bulls season was in the 1971-72 campaign where he averaged 22.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting a career-high 50.5 percent from the field. His 14.5 Win Shares that season was the best of his career. That's higher than the best single-season Win Shares of the likes of Rick Barry, Dominique Wilkins, and John Havlicek to name a few.
Walker entered the NBA in 1962 when the Syracuse Nationals took him in that year's NBA Draft. He continued to be with the team even after the Nationals franchise became the Philadelphia 76ers. He also won a title with the 76ers alongside Hal Greer and Wilt Chamberlain in 1967, finishing second among 76ers players in the title series against the San Francisco Warriors with 23.3 points per game while grabbing 8.8 boards per contest.
Social media reactions to Chet Walker's passing
Several Fans, basketball personalities, and media people shared their true feelings about the passing of a great basketball player on social media. Here are some of them:
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The Sixers paid tribute to Walker with an emotional post on X: “Chet Walker spent the first 7 seasons of his Hall of Fame career with our franchise & delivered a championship in ‘67. Affectionately nicknamed “The Jet,” Walker made a profound impact in our city & within our League. Our condolences go out to the Walker family & their friends.”
“I fell in Love with basketball watching Chet Walker @chicagobulls play. He was not athletic , but had an unreal ability to pump fake guys off their feet and score. True Professional. RIP🙏🏿,” posted former NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner Eddie Johnson.
From Andrew Begley: “RIP Chet Walker. A reminder that wherever you stand on debates about best eras and so forth, as basketball fans we should all respect the history of the sport, and appreciate the greats of the pre-three-point era while they're still alive.”
“R.I.P. Chet Walker 🕊️💔💔 Just Today I Was Doing Some Research on the 70s Bulls, learning more about him and other players of that era man, very tough to hear…Condolences To His Family & Anyone That Was Close in His Life 🙏,” posted @LavineMuse08.
“We lost George McGinnis, Bill Walton and now Chet Walker within the last 6 months. Appreciate the legends of the game while they’re still here❤️,” shared @whateverbs99.
“R.I.P. to Chet Walker. One of the great members of those early Bulls teams that made me fall in love with Basketball,” wrote David Schuster.
“Horrible news… Bob Love and Chet Walker best set of forwards never to win a title,” burned Dan Dakich.
