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. 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. Despite the late-season injury, Walton earned the NBA MVP award. Fewer possessions means fewer shots, rebounds, assists, and block opportunities to go around. His arms are long and he can block shots. 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. Weight, Net Worth, Age, Parents, Wife & More Height October 19, 2022 How Tall Is Bill Walton?- Bill Walton is an American sportscaster and former professional retired basketball player. He is socially active on social networking sites. 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. Wingspan is one detail Warriors coach Steve Kerr takes seriously and might consider when deciding on lineups and rotations for the defending champions. That might seem like a bit of an exaggeration: After all, Sabonis still starred in the States, averaging a double-double in Year 3, posting a player efficiency rating over 20 in six of his seven NBA seasons, and playing an integral role on Trail Blazers teams that went to consecutive Western Conference finals, including one that came within a hellacious fourth-quarter comeback of beating Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers in 2000. Rob Slater on November 5, 2015. During his first two years in Portland, Walton had sprained an ankle, broken his left wrist twice and dislocated two toes and two fingers. Bill Walton's unique style and skills led him to 2 NBA championships during his Hall of Fame career. 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. At the top of his form, Walton scored, passed, intimidated, hustled, and played the role of leader with the best centers of his day. Wilt Chamberlain was a great offensive player, Dr. Jack Ramsay, Waltons coach in Portland, told Sport magazine. 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. His foot deadened by a painkilling injection, Walton attempted a comeback in the playoffs against the Seattle SuperSonics. Weve seen him block guys at the rim and also get his hands on some basketballs off the dribble.. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? 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. Before he got to the NBA, McGee wasnt even aware of his wingspan. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. What if he stayed healthy? 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. Walton received a minute-long standing ovation from the Boston Garden crowd after walking onto the parquet floor at his first exhibition game. 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. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. They can control the basketball, they can do things with it. Walton won 1 MVP Award, was selected to play in 2 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993. 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. "If your wingspan is more than your height, that's kind of abnormal. K.C. Walton appeared in 80 games in 1985-86, 13 more than his previous career high. 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. 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. 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. In the midst of those broadcasting days, Walton was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. He didnt often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. As a collegian, he suffered tendinitis in his knees and injured his back. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who. Portland rose from fifth to second place in the Pacific Division and stunned the league by gliding past the talent-rich Denver Nuggets in six games, and sweeping the Abdul-Jabbar-led Los Angeles Lakers to reach the Finals. Its like someone died in the family.. (OK, I agree: That was a very Bill Waltonass thing to say.) You make up a lot of ground. Walton first appeared on the national stage as a lanky college kid who exhibited a winning attitude on the court and an anti-establishment attitude off it. A fan of the Grateful Dead, the young Walton was a vegetarian, wore flannel shirts and multicolored headbands and toted his gym clothes in an onion bag. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Ive always been tall. Look at John Stocktons arms or Avery Johnsons arms and theyre very long, and their hands are very big. 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. 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. Money doesnt mean anything to me. In todays game, though, with post-up play largely marginalized as teams look to work from the perimeter and attack defenses in space, would Chamberlain still be a high-volume source of offense? Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. What We Learned From Testing, and a Bahrain GP Preview, Succession Hall of Fame: Which Side Are You On?. After the playoffs Walton demanded to be traded and accused Portland management with providing him poor medical treatment. "I think it's something that makes a big difference, especially defensively," he said. This is not intended to be a definitive, inarguable list, or a scientifically rigorous exercise. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. According to The Sporting News, during one game Coach Ramsay said to Walton as he was coming off the court, Great job. Walton shot back, Great job yourself.. "Every asset that a player has might make up for something else. Look at John Stocktons arms or Avery Johnsons arms and theyre very long, and their hands are very big. The mind reels at all the possibilitiesand at all the vitriol his burner accounts might unleash. 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.. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. "You make up a lot of ground. Once limited to descriptions of birds, wingspan has become one of the most important measurements for basketball prospects over the past decade. NBA legend Bill Walton co-authored a byline explaining why one plot of land outside San Diego could be a way to help end the homeless crisis in the city. He also set a career high with a .562 field-goal percentage. Walton signed a then-record seven-year, $7 million contract to play with the Clippers, who had played just over .500 ball the year before. Look at John Stocktons arms or Avery Johnsons arms and theyre very long, and their hands are very big. Outside of a select few scorers who still get a bunch of low-block touches, like Joel Embiid or LaMarcus Aldridge, post-ups these days are more often a vehicle for creating catch-and-shoot 3s, or a way to attack mismatches when defenses switch themselves into a mouse in the house situation, than a main feature of an attack. When youre that big, you cant hide much. 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. People followed him on Twitter. NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton is back in the news for attacking his homeless neighbors in San Diego. 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.). He claimed to be around the 6ft 11 mark, and on his twitter in 2015 still saying "I am 6'11"" .. "I love it now.it took me a while to get used to standing out in the crowd, looking awkward, feeling uncomfortable. 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. A two-time NBA champion, Bill Walton could do it all -- and often did -- throughout an injury-plagued career. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The Spurs are showcasing the importance of Black culture in their community for the month of February. 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. Walton played in 55 games in 1983-84 and 67 in 1984-85, while the Clippers won 30 and 31 games, respectively. 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. You make up a lot of ground. Bill Walton III. A lot of basketball players dont, though, they have wider wingspans. Give It the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. This does not change the fact that, shortly after he won MVP honors, Dream summarily digested him.). Things didnt improve in Portland, as ankle and foot injuries (along with two separate broken wrists) cost him 78 games over his first two seasons. Fortunately for Portland, Waltons skills spoke louder than his tongue. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Before he got to the NBA, McGee wasnt even aware of his wingspan. Walton, 29 years old, returned to the court for the 1982-83 season, playing about one game a week as many as his doctor would permit. Waltons career-long struggle with injury and pain began even before he achieved fame at UCLA. But dozens of injuries, most infamously a chronically broken bone in his left foot, robbed Walton of the storybook career that seemed sure to be his. Jones keyed several championship runs in Boston, both as one of its players and later as its coach. Playing the Philadelphia 76ers for the title, Portland dug out of a 0-2 hole and prevailed in six, a feat accomplished only once before by the 1969 Celtics against the Lakers. Any time you think youre too small to make a difference in the world youve never spent the night alone in bed with a mosquito. 3x NCAA All-Tourney. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. ), 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. 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. 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. Then came the injuries. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his . Career (1,045 games, 1959-73): 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists per game, 54.0% FG, 51.1% FT. No player from the past feels harder to wrap your mind around than Chamberlain. That is not the case for young players. But when he was right man, was he right: At his peakthe 1976-77 season in which the Blazers won the title, and the 1977-78 campaign in which Portland was 50-10 when Walton broke his foot (he won MVP that year despite missing the final 22 games)Walton averaged 24.9 points, 18.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 blocks per 100 possessions. John Mayer on Walton's mentorship. Plus, a Salt Lake City Recap. Free (later World B. Bill Russell was a great shotblocker. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. But Waltons history of injury didnt keep the Portland Trail Blazers from making the gangly ex-Bruin the No. A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute. In this blog, we will give the details about How tall is Bill Walton? You look at size of hands, wingspans. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still don't. That is not the case for young players. Then, in February,. If your wingspan is more than your height, thats kind of abnormal. A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. 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. In the playoffs the Celtics lost only three of 18 games, defeating the Houston Rockets and their Twin Towers, Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon, in the Finals in six games. Im a different person now than I was when I came into the NBA, he said in an interview with Sport magazine. it maybe is Bill a little closer and gaining more height, there's other shots they look closer in team photos, or just general photos. I was born tall, he said. It is as if Agony and Ecstasy are Bill's Scylla and Charybdys, with his 7'+ wingspan wide enough to touch both simultaneously. If your wingspan is more than your height, thats kind of abnormal. Despite all the accolades, there are still a lot of what-ifs in Walton's career. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. He is named to the NBA's 50th and 75th-anniversary teams. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. He didnt often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. Ive always been tall. But when you have the great game of basketball with all the ultimate winners of the genetic lottery its not how high you jump, its where you are and when you jump.. 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. "At one time, they were long enough, and I can still put my own shoes and socks on," he quipped. By visiting Celeb Heights you agree to its. In his prime, Hakeem seemed capable of covering half the court by himself, assessing threats and snuffing them out with unnerving efficiency. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still dont. Drop him into todays league, and the bet here is that he wouldnt miss a stepand, in fact, he might have even picked up his pace of production. While the Shaq we know bemoans the disappearance of dominant back-to-the-basket bigs, the 2020 model would need to be capable of getting his points in other ways in a league where post-ups have largely been excised from the playbook altogether. 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. He was a perfectionist whose range of skills and dedication never ceased to impress those who saw him play. Any time you think youre too small to make a difference in the world youve never spent the night alone in bed with a mosquito. Nobody knew what Giannis Antetokounmpo would be until Jason Kidd decided to put the ball in his hands, or until Mike Budenholzer made everybody stand farther away to give him more room to breathe. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. Ive always been tall. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. That's kind of a rule of thumb. 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. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. Bill Waltons Hall of Fame career took him from Portland to Boston, and he won at every stop. I decided it might be cool to write about some of these players. Any time you think youre too small to make a difference in the world youve never spent the night alone in bed with a mosquito. 1 Pick, and QB Movement Updates With Jeff Darlington. 3x NCAA All-Region. He acquired Walton by sending popular forward Cedric Maxwell to the Clippers along with a first-round draft pick. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. Yet each visit he made, among the first things measured was his wingspan, 7-6. Determined to get back into uniform, Walton ignored the skepticism of doctors who said he would never play again. Center Bill Walton played 10 seasons for 3 teams. He was right then; he blocked four or more shots four times in his first six NBA games, led the league in blocks three times, and still tops the all-time leaderboard in swats nearly 20 years after his retirement. 2x NCAA Champion. Stay tuned for more updates on LatestinBollywood. His arms are long and he can block shots. He led the league in both rebounding and blocked shots, averaging 14.4 and 3.25, respectively. But when I think about the prospect of Shaq playing nowwith more long and skilled big men to line up against, and fewer fellow kaiju roaming the painted area to batter him every time he catches the ballI wonder whether a Shaq who came along in 2020 might have been better served staying down around the 290 pounds of his salad days for a little longer. Sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in Hall... Say. ), especially defensively, '' bill walton wingspan said in an interview with Sport magazine about of. The 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms.. Basketball Hall of Fame career took him from Portland to Boston, both as one of the benefits his. Great offensive player, Dr. Jack Ramsay, Waltons coach in Portland, Waltons coach in Portland, told magazine! Defending champions mind reels at all the possibilitiesand at all the possibilitiesand at all the accolades, are. 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Games in 1983-84 and 67 in 1984-85, while the Clippers won 30 and 31,! Jeff Darlington faced had incredible reach Steve Kerr takes seriously and might consider when deciding on and... That 's kind of abnormal I agree: that was a perfectionist whose range of skills and never.

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