“ We are proud to consider him one of the greatest Celtics in history », blurted out the speaker of the TD Garden before asking for a moment of silence to think about Bill Walton. A few seconds of silence broken by “ We love you Bill! »
Ahead of the first round of their NBA final against the Mavs, the Celtics paid a solemn tribute to their former player, who died on May 27. Under the eyes of ten members of the deceased's family, the franchise screened a video in tribute to the Hall of Famer.
He did not need to stay long in Massachusetts to leave an indelible mark. Bill Walton in Boston, it was a trophy for best 6th man of the year won in 1986, followed above all by the title the same year, the second of his career after that won in 1977 in Portland.
“Bill was a champion at every level and the epitome of selfless team play. He found great joy in basketball and music, and deeply cherished times spent with his teammates and friends.”
The following season, he was limited to 10 games played due to foot injuries and retired, before entering the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
“ I can't think of a better NBA ambassador than Bill. He loved talking to everyone. It's a sad time for the league “, said Adam Silver ahead of the meetingspeaking of a “ friend » which greatly contributed to the internationalization of the game.
“ Bill was a champion at every level and the epitome of selfless team play. He found great joy in basketball and music, and deeply cherished times spent with his teammates and friends “, said the local announcer again, while the members of the team wore black overshirts with “Walton” written on them, as well as a black patch with the inscription “Walton” on their jerseys.
