For one: Decades before Shut up and dribble became a sociopolitical flashpoint, Walton was telling The New York Times In this society, they dont expect an athlete to speak for himself or to be able to lead his own life. Maybe I just kind of miss perennial playoff performers who looked like theyd just smoked half a pack of Camel Wides before the start of the third. Eight Questions Ahead of The Mandalorian Season 3, From Grogus Force prowess to Dins and Bo-Katans Darksaber designs to Gideons future, here are the key considerations ahead of Mandos long-awaited return, LeBrons Injury Ends the Lakers Surge Before It Could Even Begin, Just when it seemed like things were clicking into place for Los Angeles, LeBron James suffered a foot injury that will sideline him for the most important stretch of the Lakers season. Once limited to descriptions of birds, wingspan has become one of the most important measurements for basketball prospects over the past decade. 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. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. Oops. Praise came quickly. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. 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. And theyre able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still don't. I was with the Boston Celtics when Russell came into the league, Lakers Coach Bill Sharman told the Los Angeles Times. "A wingspan always helps people, whether it's blocking shots or deflections on defense.". You look at size of hands, wingspans. Take a look back at the late 1970s Blazers and the impact Bill Walton had on them. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. The Sixth Man award almost always goes to the NBAs highest-scoring bench player. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? Fewer possessions means fewer shots, rebounds, assists, and block opportunities to go around. His arms are long and he can block shots. Today, a prep prospect with Chamberlains physical attributes and skill would probably be given the green light to create at an early age, sanding off some of the rough edges in his ball handling and footwork. Years before the Kevin Garnetts and Kevin Durants of the world began lying about their heights to make themselves seem smaller, Walton was reported to be 7-foot-2 but listed as 6-foot-11 [because] he didnt like the stigma of being a 7-footer. Walton didnt want to be chained to the block and forced into the same old dump it down and drop step monotony; he wanted to be free to explore the outer limits of both his skills and those of his teammates. He was a perfectionist whose range of skills and dedication never ceased to impress those who saw him play. I worried when he was thrown in jail with the group that took over the administration building, I worried when he stopped traffic on Wilshire Boulevard, and when he interrupted classes giving his views on the Vietnam War.. The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . The most accurate reports found that West had an 81 inch wingspan, which would translate to 6'9. This would still play: At 7-foot-1 with a reported 7-foot-8 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach, having starred at both 250 pounds as a lithe rookie and a muscular 300-plus pounds during his latter years with the Lakers, Chamberlain had more than enough size, length, and strength to challenge even the burliest modern bigs. 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. He had the athleticism of Kareem, and he could shoot the 3-point shot. Youre able to deflect the pass or block shots.. Once he hit the other side of 30, thoughand once he got with George Karl, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and the gang in SeattlePerkins started more aggressively stretching his game out to the perimeter, becoming one of the first full-fledged floor-spacing bigs in the game. He was already in America, having come over from Nigeria to enroll at the University of Houston, and he went to a Rockets game. 1973 UCLA, led by Bill Walton, sets an NCAA record for consecutive victories with its 61st win, an 82-63 victory over Notre Dame. What We Learned From Testing, and a Bahrain GP Preview, Succession Hall of Fame: Which Side Are You On?. Its much more important than your height, Kerr said. Kon Hai Alakh Pandey aka Physics Wallah Wife Shivani Dubey? "It's legit. That is not the case for young players. In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defense. 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. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. Ive always been tall. What Are the Characteristics of a Great NBA Sixth Man of the Year? Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. They don't really bring it up to us about that in college or high school.". He didnt often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. In 33 games for the Clippers, Walton averaged 14.1 points, the fourth-highest total of his career, while shooting .528 from the field, a career high at the time. Its much more important than your height, Kerr said. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. Please enter a valid email and try again. They can control the basketball, they can do things with it. Bill Walton was one of the best-passing big men in NBA history, able to facilitate championship-caliber offense. The former West Coast radical in lumberjack clothing found a home in the land of turtlenecks and penny loafers. It seems more likely that ONeal would still need to do the lions share of his damage within arms reach rather than suddenly developing a feathery touch from 23 feet. He claimed to be around the 6ft 11 mark, and on his twitter in 2015 still saying, it's a strange oneI do think he could look near 7ft, but maybe he really did measure under it and simply rounded off to 6ft 11 rather than up to the 7ft. Its legit. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. Defense 94. Im a big believer in that., More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball, This March 25, 2018, photo shows Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in action during an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif. From executives and scouts to coaches and analytics types, teams are paying closer attention to wingspan when considering players _ especially with what long arms can mean making a defensive impact. 1 to play a stretch-5 against him to try to draw him out of the middle and keep him from walling off the paint, or run dozens of pick-and-rolls aimed at getting him switched onto guards and forcing him to defend in space. He played more than 70 games only once in 14 seasonsin the 1985-86 season, when he made 80 appearances as a reserve for the Celtics, winning Sixth Man of the Year on one of the greatest teams of all time. He wasnt just a lumbering giant, either: Chamberlain could sky to block shots and snare rebounds, and sprint the length of the court to fill the lane on the break. The NBA's Noches ne B A celebration starts in March, where teams will commemorate fans and players across Latin American and U.S. Hispanic communities. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. I do think, though, that hed probably become an even more useful piece to deploy in a spread-it-out-and-bomb-away offense and that, on occasion, yes, he might even be construed as A Problem. Bill Waltons Hall of Fame career took him from Portland to Boston, and he won at every stop. After sitting out the entire 1978-79 season, Walton headed to San Diego and strife followed him there. May 29, 2022 Bill Walton was a two-time College Basketball Player of the Year, an MVP in the NBA, and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He could score, too, but you could run your whole offense through him, and his basketball IQ was off the charts for a 7-footer., Maybe the most exciting thing about the idea of bringing a young Sabonis to the present day is that wed get to see what he wouldve looked like playing against elite opposition every night. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Thats kind of a rule of thumb. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. Its legit. That is not the case for young players. (Nearly.) Meg and Spanners also discuss Aston Martins positive press focusing on Fernando Alonso and touch on Ferraris consistent performance. In the midst of those broadcasting days, Walton was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. We should have carried out a plan in the early 1980s to kidnap him and bring him back right then., Or, even better: popped him into a tricked-out DeLorean, sent him to 2020, and found out what it might look like if Kristaps Porzingis passed like White Chocolate, or if you pressed fast-forward on Nikola Jokic. A two-time NBA champion, Bill Walton could do it all -- and often did -- throughout an injury-plagued career. He went home elatednot because of all the skill, pageantry, and aerial artistry he just witnessed, but because even as an undergraduate just barely getting his feet wet in the game, he wasnt too impressed with the future competition. Hakeem likely couldve become a passable 3-point shooter with enough commitment. The irony was not lost on many in the media, who 15 years earlier had grown to dislike the ornery version of the man who was now their compatriot. 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. Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey also react to the announcement that the fourth season of HBOs Succession will be the final one, Justin and Micah return to discuss some of the things theyve caught up with over the past few weeks, including You, Tr, and Hogwarts Legacy, Jason also discusses Brandon Miller and Alabama NFL draft prospects with Charlie Potter, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Time Machine All-Stars: Five Centers Who Would Have Dominated 2020. Chamberlain experienced fabulous success playing one way, fielded criticism from fans and pundits over it, and then just decided to play an entirely different way to prove a point. (Im thinking of Channing Frye, but by all means, insert your preferred end-of-the-rotation stretch big here.) Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. He played without pain for the first time in years, and he seemed happier than ever. Im a different person now than I was when I came into the NBA, he said in an interview with Sport magazine. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. How Tall Is Bill Walton? And theyre able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls. Olajuwon had an excellent midrange game, with incredible touch on those turnarounds and fadeaways out of the block, and shot a crisp 50 percent between 16 feet and the arc during the 1998-99 season, his final healthy run before the wheels started to come off. Today, the tallest of the Deadheads, the man whose wingspan could be seen towering over most others . As the NBA celebrates it's 75th Anniversary Season, get to know dozens of star players who helped make the NBA what it is today. At his peak he averaged 18.6/14.4/3.6 with 52% shooting and was the best player on a championship team. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . Theres a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. Many Clippers were outraged at the price the team had to pay to acquire the injury-plagued, 26-year-old Walton: forward Kermit Washington, center Kevin Kunnert, a first-round draft pick and $350,000. But the Celtics Brogdon is mounting a well-rounded campaign that hearkens back to some of the earliest Sixth Men. "It's not how big you are, it's how big you play. Walton is the same type of player. You remember him: the irresistible force who tipped the scales after adding all that bulk to withstand the legions of Hack-a-Shaq implementers, the immovable object whom noted giant Yao Ming described in 2003 as like a meat wall, and the mountainous MVP who Juggernauted his way through the league to the tune of 27-and-12 on 57.5 percent shooting for a smooth eight years. (Walton later sued the team; the case was settled out of court.). A lot of basketball players dont, though, they have wider wingspans. If your wingspan is more than your height, thats kind of abnormal. Yeah, I found that out once I bought my first suit, the 6-foot-5 McMillan, a 12-year pro now coaching the Pacers, said with a chuckle, realizing his arms stretched more than 3 feet each. 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. He acted as a half-court offensive hub from the elbows and out of the post; as the last line of defense on the other end, he was an ace shot-blocker and defensive rebounder who looked for every opportunity to trigger a fast break and an easy bucket within the flow of the game. After Game 2, X-rays showed that the navicular bone below Waltons left ankle was broken. CelebHeights.com Rob Paul 2004-2023. Walton inducted himself into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. 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. Career (1,238 games, 1984-2002): 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 3.1 blocks per game, 51.2% FG, 20.2% 3FG, 71.2% FT. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. K.C. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. In addition to the brawn he used to bulldoze his way to the basket, Chamberlain also flashed a soft touch on non-flush finishes, and was an early adopter of the fadeaway jumper that would become part of the repertoire of so many great low-post scorers in future generations: And while theres some dispute about just how valuable his passing was to his teams offensive performance, Chamberlain could facilitate with his back to the basket, finishing second in the league in assists in the 1967-68 season and turning in what remain the two highest assist-per-game averages of any center in league history: Context matters in a players development. . Like many other NBA greats, Walton went on to call games on television in 1991. He left the game with 6,215 points (13.3 ppg), 4,923 rebounds (10.5 rpg), and a .521 shooting percentage in 468 regular-season contests. Walton also used the time off to attend Stanford law school. In Loose Balls, Terry Plutos iconic oral history of the ABA, former ABA commissioner Mike Storen recalls that in negotiations over trying to get Walton to come to the counterculture league, Waltons representative made it clear that the two wanted Bill to be the highest-paid professional athlete in the history of mankind, and to be on a great team surrounded by a lot of talent so that the responsibility for winning and losing does not fall directly on Bill. Again: He might fit in just fine today.). When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. John Mayer on Walton's mentorship. Jones keyed several championship runs in Boston, both as one of its players and later as its coach. He is named to the NBA's 50th and 75th-anniversary teams. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. 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. Those who knew Walton the basketball player recognized him as a devastating force. Here was a man who once claimed to have bested a mountain lion in single combat. Walton, along with George Mullen, penned an op-ed in San Diego Times, in which he advocated for . 6-11 , 210lb (211cm, 95kg) School: UCLA (Men) Draft: Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1974 NBA draft. And they're able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. 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