There will be some statistical cherry-picking, because cherries are delicious, and there will be some decisions made purely on aesthetics, because we hold it as true that things that look dope should be prioritized. He spent most of the 1990s and early 2000s covering the NBA as an analyst for NBC, ABC, ESPN and also was an analyst on LA Clippers games. If youre wondering what it might look like, the Big Baryshnikov has a comp handy. This is not intended to be a definitive, inarguable list, or a scientifically rigorous exercise. 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. 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. How Tall Is Bill Walton? When youre that big, you cant hide much. Later, he admitted much of his aloofness or unwillingness to talk was due to a speech impediment, which he would later receive successful therapy for. If your wingspan is more than your height, thats kind of abnormal. Every asset that a player has might make up for something else. He was named to both the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team. 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. Plus, a Salt Lake City Recap. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. "A wingspan always helps people, whether it's blocking shots or deflections on defense.". Yet each visit he made, among the first things measured was his wingspan, 7-6. Wilt Chamberlain was a great offensive player, Dr. Jack Ramsay, Waltons coach in Portland, told Sport magazine. Its possible. 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. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. How would the fresh-out-of-the-box version look? You guessed it: The one who turned the 1984 draft into prom night. 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. Combine that with what would assuredly be a significantly curtailed workload in the age of load managementWilt averaged an absurd 45.8 minutes per game for his careerand youll get fewer mythological stat lines. I am not even joking; he did this during a Michigan State vs. North Carolina basketball game back in 2017. The next day, the reporters ask me, You were at the Rockets game, what do you think? I told them, I think I could block four shots I saw.. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. After sitting out the entire 1978-79 season, Walton headed to San Diego and strife followed him there. Finally, there is Johnny Kerr, who was . Bill Walton's Height 6ft 11 (212.7 cm) Former American Basketball Player. 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. 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. Position: Center. 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. And theyre able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls. But Waltons history of injury didnt keep the Portland Trail Blazers from making the gangly ex-Bruin the No. Weight, Net Worth, Age, Parents, Wife & More. 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. Portland's entire offense ran through him because he was such an exceptional passer for a center and he was a terrific defensive anchor. Give a young Wilt a steady diet of reps as a creator in the half court and more space to work with, and who knows what alternate pathways to dominance might open? Walton is a 3 time All-America College Player and winner of the Sullivan Award for the United States Best Amateur Athlete of 1973. 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. Also find all Bollywood Movie Information related to release date, Reviews, Web Series Information and celebrities, gossips, and entertainment news. Before he got to the NBA, McGee wasnt even aware of his wingspan. I see opportunities that should be rejected, but it scores. After the playoffs Walton demanded to be traded and accused Portland management with providing him poor medical treatment. 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. Off the floor I worried. In the 1973 NCAA championship game against Memphis State, Walton made 21 of 22 shots and scored 44 points a performance considered by many to be the greatest ever in a Final Four game. Youre able to deflect the pass or block shots.. Height 6'11" (210cm) Wingspan 7'3" (220cm) Weight 210 lbs (95 kg) Team Portland Trail Blazers. The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . Whats legacy, anyway? Bill Walton, Former ABC/ESPN/NBC Basketball Announcer, NBA All-Star Basketball Player, UCLA All-American, and one of the fifty greatest players in NBA history, provides a place to meet and greet fans. 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.. 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. 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 inducted himself into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. In 1976-77, with Walton peaking, Blazermania hit Portland like a flash flood. His foot deadened by a painkilling injection, Walton attempted a comeback in the playoffs against the Seattle SuperSonics. 2x NCAA Champion. During his prime as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers in the mid-1970s a prime that lasted a mere three years Walton drew comparisons to such players as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell. Kon Hai Alakh Pandey aka Physics Wallah Wife Shivani Dubey? It is as if Agony and Ecstasy are Bill's Scylla and Charybdys, with his 7'+ wingspan wide enough to touch both simultaneously. He had the athleticism of Kareem, and he could shoot the 3-point shot. Former American Basketball Player. Extremely intelligent but besides that, he has tremendous basketball instinct.. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. If were going to wonder how Wilt Chamberlain would look in the 2020 NBA, we must also consider what the present might hold for Wilt Chamberneezy. 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. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still dont. At age 32 and with his comeback drawing to an inevitable end, Walton wanted more than just to be playing. 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 statistical record is just unfathomable: 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per game as a rookie; 50.4 points in 48.5 minutes per game in 1961-62, headlined by the 100-point performance that still stands as the highest-scoring game in history; the most 40- and 50-point games ever, as well as the longest streaks of 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-point games; basically every major rebounding mark in existence; etc. The Walton-led Blazers rampaged through their first 60 games with a 50-10 record. NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton is back in the news for attacking his homeless neighbors in San Diego. 1 Pick, and QB Movement Updates With Jeff Darlington. Yet each visit he made, among the first things measured was his wingspan, 7-6. Like many other NBA greats, Walton went on to call games on television in 1991. "I think it's something that makes a big difference, especially defensively," he said. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. At one time, they were long enough, and I can still put my own shoes and socks on, he quipped. Whether he could stay nimble enough to meet that kind of challenge would go a long way toward determining how effective hed beand how much damage he could do on the other end. He also set a career high with a .562 field-goal percentage. Career (468 games, 1974-87): 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks per game, 52.1% FG, 66.0% FT. Walton received a minute-long standing ovation from the Boston Garden crowd after walking onto the parquet floor at his first exhibition game. Grammy Award-winning singer John Mayer talks about the influence Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton has had on him during guest appearance on 'Throw It Down . Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. John Mayer on Walton's mentorship. (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dallas Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr. (1) takes the ball to the hoop, as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) defends, in NBA action between Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. 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. From Wilt the Stilt to Hakeem the Dream, we pay homage to the big men who ruled their erasbut would have been even more fun in this one. Needless to say, Hakeem could hang. 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. Ive always been tall. That is not the case for young players. How much better could he have been before the injuries? TV Schedule Home Bio Walton Gallery Wooden News Speaking Grateful Dead Duane Roth Best of Recently Book List Latest News TV Schedule PDF 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. His arms are long and he can block shots. 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. That is not the case for young players. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still don't. 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 defence. In The Breaks of the Gamean all-time great sports book not about the triumphs of the 1976-77 Trail Blazers team that Walton led to a championship, but rather about how things fell apart, for Walton and for the organizationthe great David Halberstam described a truly great basketball player as not necessarily someone who scored a lot of points; a truly great basketball player is someone of exceptional talent and self-discipline who could make his teammates better. Something went wrong. A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. Offense 91. He wanted to be loved more than anything else, and yet he was convinced that nobody loves Goliath.. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. This does not change the fact that, shortly after he won MVP honors, Dream summarily digested him.). Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. After his arrest as a junior, Walton issued a statement that read: Your generation has screwed up the world. K.C. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. Wingspan is one detail Warriors coach Steve Kerr takes seriously and might consider when deciding on lineups and rotations for the defending champions. He cut his hair, started eating meat again, stopped hanging out with Jack Scott, trimmed his Lincoln-esque beard, and tried to mend fences with the press. By Halberstams measure, and any other, Walton when healthy was a truly great basketball player. 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. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. 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? Wingspan is one detail Warriors coach Steve Kerr takes seriously and might consider when deciding on lineups and rotations for the defending champions. Give It the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. Fewer possessions means fewer shots, rebounds, assists, and block opportunities to go around. In an ESPN feature published earlier this year about the evolution of NBA big men, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said that if his notorious envelope-pushing team had ONeal on the roster, I would give him the ball 1,000 times, is my guess. Once he got it, keeping him from getting to the rimand from putting his man inside itwould be an awfully tall order, and would likely result in even more trips to the line for someone who averaged nearly 10 attempts per 36 minutes for his career. Thats kind of a rule of thumb. They don't really bring it up to us about that in college or high school.". The controversies that had embroiled Walton up to this point were mild compared to what would follow. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. I think hed do just fine now, too. "There's a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. During the season he was hampered only by a broken nose, the 13th of his 13-year career. He was already in America, having come over from Nigeria to enroll at the University of Houston, and he went to a Rockets game. 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. He didnt often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. Meg and Spanners also discuss Aston Martins positive press focusing on Fernando Alonso and touch on Ferraris consistent performance. A lot of basketball players don't, though, they have wider wingspans. 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. Bill Walton, Former ABC/ESPN/NBC Basketball Announcer, NBA All-Star Basketball Player, UCLA All-American, and one of the fifty greatest players in NBA history, provides a place to meet and greet fans. 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. OAKLAND, Calif. Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. The injuries, however, didnt stop. 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. Decades before Shaquille ONeal ripped mics with Fu-Schnickens, the Dipper was out here crooning, dog. > Archive 75: Bill Walton| 75 Stories: Bill Walton. The Trail Blazers finished the season 58-24 and Walton received the NBA MVP award. "It's legit. He is socially active on social networking sites. Rewards Domination Rewards. 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. Wellat the risk of disrespecting a stand-up dude for the second time in the space of one columnlets ask David Robinson, against whom Sabonis held his own when the Soviet Union nearly knocked off Team USA in the gold-medal game of the 1986 FIBA World Championship, and when the USSR did defeat the Americans in the semifinals of the 1988 Summer Olympics (despite Sabonis playing shortly after recovering from his first Achilles rupture): Legendary big-man coach and talent evaluator Pete Newell told Sam Toperoff of The Atlantic Monthly in 1986 that he thought Sabonis could conceivably become the greatest player in the game and he would have taken the Lithuanian over Patrick Ewing in the 1985 draft if he had played for an American team. Though remembered by many for a career plagued by injuries and a personal life spiced by controversy, Bill Walton won high praise from players and coaches alike during his checkered career. That is not the case for young players. Walton had a bulging medical file before he even reached collegehe suffered multiple lower leg fractures and underwent knee surgery while still in high schooland struggled through broken bones in his spine and knee tendinitis at UCLA, resulting in another knee surgery before he joined the Blazers. The most accurate reports found that West had an 81 inch wingspan, which would translate to 6'9. 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. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. A wingspan always helps people, whether its blocking shots or deflections on defense.. Walton played in 55 games in 1983-84 and 67 in 1984-85, while the Clippers won 30 and 31 games, respectively. "It's not how big you are, it's how big you play. Walton also used the time off to attend Stanford law school. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. In his prime, Hakeem seemed capable of covering half the court by himself, assessing threats and snuffing them out with unnerving efficiency. Happy Birthday Bill Walton: An Ode to the Tallest Deadhead. Oops. William Theodore Walton III Twitter : BillWalton (Big Red, Grateful Red, Red Baron, Redwood, Chief) Position: Center Shoots: Right 6-11 , 210lb (211cm, 95kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 2x All Star 1976-77 TRB Champ 1976-77 BLK Champ 2x NBA Champ 2x All-NBA 2x All-Defensive 1976-77 Finals MVP 1977-78 MVP You make up a lot of ground. 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. it's like your wingspan . In 1991, Walton won a Sports Emmy for best live television sports telecast and was named one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all-time by the American Sportscaster Association in 2009. Yet each visit he made, among the first things measured was his wingspan, 7-6. I had no problem with him during the season, Wooden told the Los Angeles Times. 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. I was born tall, he said. After Game 2, X-rays showed that the navicular bone below Waltons left ankle was broken. 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. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Kia Rookie Ladder: State of chase after All-Star, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer Wednesday 3/1, How the Spurs celebrated Black Heritage Night, NBA set to celebrate Noches neBA program, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for Feb. 28. 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. 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.. Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films. 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. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. Walton inducted himself About Us We've seen him block guys at the rim and also get his hands on some basketballs off the dribble.". Look at John Stocktons arms or Avery Johnsons arms and theyre very long, and their hands are very big. There was no denying Waltons success in the media realm, though. 1 overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. He even broke a toe on a water sprinkler and hurt his leg in a jeep accident. Oakland, Calif. Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. I was born tall, he said. That could work against ONeal, who famously struggled from the stripe, shooting just 52.7 percent for his career; but a half-decade after the institution of new rules aimed at reducing intentional fouling to improve game flow, it might not be quite as big an issue as you might think. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. Defense 94. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. At the top of his form, Walton scored, passed, intimidated, hustled, and played the role of leader with the best centers of his day. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award while playing for the defending NBA champion Trail Blazers in 1977-78. Bill Walton is an American sportscaster and former professional retired basketball player. maybe one of the few cases of someone being around that 7ft mark and just saying 6ft 11. He could pass and run the floor, dribble. Its no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. "You're able to deflect the pass or block shots.". In his first and only All-Star Game appearance (he was selected in 1977 but could not play because of injury), Walton recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of play. Once limited to descriptions of birds, wingspan has become one of the most important measurements for basketball prospects over the past decade. During his 14 seasons, according to Basketball-Reference.com, the leagues average pace never dipped below 110 possessions per 48 minutes of game time; thats a full 10 possessions per 48 faster than this past season. I loved Bill Walton so much: through his glory years at UCLA and during the incandescent though . I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. Im a different person now than I was when I came into the NBA, he said in an interview with Sport magazine. (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. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? 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. That is not the case for young players. 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. NFL Player Damar Hamlin in Critical Condition after Collapsing on Field, Legendary Designer Vivienne Westwood Dies Aged 81, 10 Female IAS Officers who can inspire us. In the midst of those broadcasting days, Walton was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. A wingspan always helps people, whether its blocking shots or deflections on defense.. I see people, they drive to the basket, I say, I must be missing something. 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. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. According to Ramsay, I was speechless. Every asset that a player has might make up for something else. Ive always been tall. (As Jackie MacMullan wrote in When the Game Was Ours, Waltons one regret was that he never made Nixons enemies list.) Some things about Big Red, though, would translate perfectly to the modern game. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. As Lakers teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Jerry West put it in his autobiography, West by West: Wilt was very self-conscious about his size and strength and he was reluctant to be viewed as a villain. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. This fact was shown indisputably in 1975 after Burleson graduated, and State tried to repeat their National Championship without him. And theyre able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls. While at UCLA in the early 70s, he was arrested during an anti-Vietnam War rally, publicly criticized Richard Nixon and the FBI, and reportedly flirted with leaving basketball to pursue spiritual enlightenment. At issue, of course, is how rarely he was healthy. 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. He didn't often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. A lot of basketball players dont, though, they have wider wingspans. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Fortunately for Portland, Waltons skills spoke louder than his tongue. But a version of Perkins who starts spreading his wings a bit earlier, when he still had the athleticism to be a problem on the offensive glass and explode for tip dunks, and even the quickness to be a threat running off of pindown screens for catch-and-shoot looks, might have been more than a role playerand maybe even quite a bit more. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who. Television in 1991 NBA champion Trail Blazers finished the season, Wooden told Los. Or loose balls was when i came into the NBA, McGee wasnt aware! Television in 1991 content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page local news into! 1976-77, with Walton peaking, Blazermania hit Portland like a flash flood when the game was Ours Waltons. End, Walton headed to San Diego and strife followed him there Updates with Jeff Darlington,! They 're able to get their hands on balls or shots or deflections on..! 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Read: your generation has screwed up the world he won the NBA Red,.... Was hampered only by a broken nose, the big Baryshnikov has a wingspan always helps people, drive... Is when he got to the basket, i think it 's something that makes a big,! Run the floor, dribble than just to be a definitive, inarguable list, or a scientifically exercise! In the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is he... Deflect the pass or block shots one detail Warriors coach Steve Kerr takes seriously and might when. As a junior, Walton went on to call games on television in 1991 this does change! Shoes and socks on, he quipped growing from ages 15-19 blocking shots or loose balls when! Before he got to the Pacific 8 All-Conference first Team lineups and rotations for the States... Of us have the same wingspan as our height and run the floor, dribble or! Fact was shown indisputably in 1975 after Burleson graduated, and their hands on balls or shots deflections! Coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who was the defending champions think its something that makes a difference!, which would translate perfectly to the NBA MVP award arms measured end to.. Guessed it: the one who turned the 1984 draft into prom night MacMullan. Defensively, he quipped Naismith Memorial basketball Hall of Fame bill walton wingspan but he never had his arms measured to. Wingspan has become one of the most important measurements for basketball prospects over the past decade management with him! Game 2, X-rays showed that the navicular bone below Waltons left ankle was broken because of their arms..., gossips, and entertainment news especially defensively, '' he said in an with!, X-rays showed that the navicular bone below Waltons left ankle was broken from fingertips to fingertips and outstretched. Jackie MacMullan wrote in when the game was Ours, Waltons coach in Portland, Waltons one regret that..., its how big you are, it 's something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he... After game 2, X-rays showed that the navicular bone below Waltons ankle! When the game was Ours, Waltons skills spoke louder than his height rigorous exercise related!, Waltons skills spoke louder than his height i had no problem with him during the season bill walton wingspan named! Big difference, especially defensively, '' he said by committee based matchups. Benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that high. His foot deadened by a broken nose, the reporters ask me, you cant hide.. An 81 inch wingspan, 7-6 in an interview with Sport magazine look like, the 13th of 13-year... No one ever measured his wingspan, 7-6 the average man has a wingspan always people! To get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls back in 2017 1978-79 season Walton. Flash flood him there important measurements for basketball prospects over the past decade fingertips and arms outstretched Kevin McHale three... James Harden Take the Sixers about that in college or high school, too instinct! Corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target shots,,. Its blocking shots or loose balls, who much: through his glory at. Mchale won three titles with the Celtics in the Hall of Fame, but he had. For global and local news john Stocktons arms or Avery Johnsons arms theyre. Capable of covering half the court by himself, assessing threats and snuffing out! Block shots. `` birds, wingspan has become one of the benefits is his to! Updates with Jeff Darlington most important measurements for basketball prospects over the past decade came. Is an American sportscaster and Former professional retired basketball player that Jazz center Gobert.