Like the Lakers, who were in mourning after the death of Jerry West in June, the Blazers will sew on their jerseys a patch to honor the memory of Bill Waltonstruck down by cancer on May 27. On the left shoulder, Scoot Henderson and his teammates will wear a small multi-colored headband with the number 32 throughout the season.
Bill Walton, who passed away at the age of 71, is considered by some to be the best player in the history of the franchise. A Hall of Famer, the former UCLA center led the team to the title in 1977, collecting the Finals MVP trophy. The following season, he was even voted NBA MVP despite missing a third of the games.
A tribute evening on March 9, 2025
A member of the Top 75 players in history despite playing fewer than 500 career games, Walton was a personality unanimously appreciated by all, and the Blazers chose March 9, 2025, to pay him a more solemn tribute.
It will be for the reception of the Pistons, a franchise in which we find his son Luke, among the assistants of JB Bickerstaff, the new coach of Detroit.
