Larry Bird’s affection for Bill Walton has never been a secret.
While they played together only a short time, Walton was one of Bird’s favorite teammates. After Walton died Monday at age 71 after a battle with cancer. Bird issued a statement mourning his loss:
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“I am very sorry about my good friend, Bill Walton. I love him as a friend and teammate. It was a thrill for me to play with my childhood idol and together we earned an NBA Championship in 1986. He is one of the greatest ever to play the game. I am sure that all of my teammates are as grateful as I am that we were able to know Bill, he was such a joy to know and he will be sorely missed. My family and I extend our sincere condolences to the Walton family.”
The fast friendship that emerged between the two men during their short time as Celtics teammates was well-chronicled. The gregarious Walton helped bring Bird out of his shell and even brought him to a Grateful Dead concert.
Walton and Bird led Boston to the 1986 NBA Championship together before the recurrence of foot problems left to Walton’s retirement a year later.
“If Bill could’ve finished his career from start to finish healthy, there’s no telling where he would be ranked in the best players ever,” Bird said in ESPN’s 30-for-30 on Walton.
