NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton passes away at 71 years old

(KION-TV) - NBA Hall of Famer and two time NBA Champion Bill Walton has passed away. He was 71 years old.

According to an official statement from the NBA, Walton passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death.

Walton played four years at UCLA from 1970-1974. During his time, the Bruins had two 30-0 seasons and an NCAA record 88 game winning streak. The Bruins also won the 1971 and 72 NCAA championships under the coaching of legend John Wooden.

In 1974, Walton was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers where he would spend five seasons with the team. As a Blazer, he would play 209 games while averaging 17.1 points per game and 13.5 rebounds. He also had 4.4 assists and 2.6 blocks.

Not only did he put up good numbers, he also helped Portland win the 1977 NBA Championship and win the Finals MVP in the process. The following season, Walton would win the MVP before leaving for the San Diego Clippers.

Walton would win another championship after signing with the Boston Celtics and win another accolade with the sixth man of the year award.

When his career was over, Bill Walton would become a well respected media presence for companies like CBS, NCAA on CBS and ESPN. He would win an award in this career as well. He won an Emmy Award for "Best Live Sports Television Broadcast" in 2001, and was the recipient of the CoSIDA Dick Enberg Award in 2018.

Walton is survived by his wife and four sons.