Bill Walton officially retires from Commentating

[InRareForm]

Monday, November 2, 2009
Bill Walton retires from broadcasting

One of the most recognizable voices in NBA broadcasting is stepping away from the mic.

ESPN NBA analyst Bill Walton, plagued by back issues over the past two years, is retiring from broadcasting. Walton, who joined ESPN/ABC in '02 after a long tenure with NBC, had not appeared on ESPN since early last season.

:depressed

here are some gems:

"When I think of Boris Diaw, I think of Beethoven, the age of romantics"

"The Jazz are on an impressive 2-0 run"

Walton: "That has to be a foul""
Snapper: "against who?"
Walton: "Against the game of basketball"

"Yesterday we celebrated Sir Issac Newton's discovery of Gravity, today Fabricio Oberto is defying it" :rollin:rollin:rollin

"Dikembe Mutombo; Bringing Order to the Universe"

[pauls931]

He annoyed the hell out of me, but was quite funny at times. I'll miss him for the headaches he'd give other commentators.

[iggypop123]

"Mark Madsen is just a hustler doing what needs to be done. Like the great Laker legend before him Travis Knight"

[wireonfire]

I, for one, miss him, even he says outrageous things sometimes.

[dirk4mvp]

My favorite announcer. This guy was cash.

[Mel_13]

"Throw it down, big fella....throw it down!"

[balli]

I have never enjoyed Walton's commentary, or found him funny in the 'watching a trainwreck' kind of way. But I think he's a genuinely decent human and I've enjoyed his perspective when I've heard him in some Charlie Rose interviews. Hope he gets his back figured out.

[lil_penny]

Fuck

[dirk4mvp]

mP6F31SM1pc

Who doesn't like listening to this guy talk?

[Allanon]

Funny as hell sometimes. That's too bad.

[ElNono]

Too bad, he was great. I was fortunate enough to get his autograph when he was doing a Nets vs Spurs game for ESPN almost 4 years ago or so. He looked like he was in pain when he walked back then.

[Indazone]

oh noes! The death of hyperbole!

[mesothorny]

Walton: That's a mascara call.

Breen (I think): Okay, I'll ask. What's a mascara call?

Walton: It's a makeup call!

[ginobili's bald spot]

Bill Walton was the greatest commentator in the history of the universe.

[baseline bum]

Walton was really hilarious when he did color for the Clippers years back. He used to constantly rant about how much Olowokandi sucked. Then when Ralph Lawer (play-by-play guy) would do the "Corona: The Official Beer of the Time Out" sponsorship message to begin the fourth quarter Walton would say he needed one or two to be able to stomach the Clippers' pathetic showing.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Loved your work, Bill. All the best. :toast

[Def Rowe]

I naively thought that perhaps he would just get used a wheelchair and roll over to a mic to do an NBA broadcast during the playoffs. I mean, the guy can still talk right...

Eh, getting old sucks.

[Technique]

Bill Walton was cool, my fav commentator by far though is Doug Collins.

[Obstructed_View]

Maybe it's because I don't have League Pass, but where the hell has he been working the last three or four years? I didn't realize he had been commentating all this time.


Greatest Walton line ever:

"Where would ya LIKE it, Samaki?"

[Mel_13]

Maybe it's because I don't have League Pass, but where the hell has he been working the last three or four years? I didn't realize he had been commentating all this time.


Greatest Walton line ever:

"Where would ya LIKE it, Samaki?"

"ESPN NBA analyst Bill Walton, plagued by back issues over the past two years, is retiring from broadcasting. Walton, who joined ESPN/ABC in '02 after a long tenure with NBC, had not appeared on ESPN since early last season."

[Obstructed_View]

"ESPN NBA analyst Bill Walton, plagued by back issues over the past two years, is retiring from broadcasting. Walton, who joined ESPN/ABC in '02 after a long tenure with NBC, had not appeared on ESPN since early last season."

Seems like much longer than that since I've heard him work.

[timvp]

Sucks. He was my favorite national commentator. Too bad it wasn't Doug Collins who retired . . .

But yeah, last time I saw Walton in person he could barely walk. He's only like 55 or something but he moves like he's 85.

[Kriz-Maxima]

Noooo!

[pauls931]

Sucks. He was my favorite national commentator. Too bad it wasn't Doug Collins who retired . . .

But yeah, last time I saw Walton in person he could barely walk. He's only like 55 or something but he moves like he's 85.

He's not alone when it comes to athletes sacrificing their bodys for 10 - 15 years of brutal physical demand. This is one of the few justifications I can think of for their inflated salaries. Unfortunately for Walton, he didn't play recently enough to make the absurd money players currently get.

[SenorSpur]

I absolutely loved Walton, for all the annoying and hyperbolic reasons everyone has stated. He was truly one-of-a-kind, both on the court and in the booth. He'll be missed.

"Throw it down, Big Man....throw it down"

[IronMexican]

Bill Walton was the greatest commentator in the history of the universe.

....no

[myhc]

:depressed Walton was my favorite announcer. Terrible jokes but therein lied his charm.

[rjv]

i guess his back is really givinh him some issues. sorry to hear that.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Sucks for him to have to exit in such an awful fashion, but Bill Walton made me thankful my remote has a mute button.

[tp2021]

I always loved his calls. I am one who found him hilarious.

[hater]

walton was a fucking genius. Anyone who didn't enjoy his calls is nuts:

"smush parker has become the best player in this game including kobe bryant and carmello anthony"

"Greg Ostertag is one of the finest centers in the history of Western Civilization."

"Would somebody please get a rebound"

"Wheres the defense"

"Watch your head" (After a shot that misses bad)

"Will somebody please make a shot"

"what was he thinking? was he thinking anything at all"?

"This is Jason Kidd's world... were just lucky to be living in it."

"Shaq makes everyone else in the league look like Michel Tafoya"

“Why is Scottie Pippen taking a charge? Taking a charge is for people with no game!”

“If Eric Piatkowski continues playing at this level, he’s going to replace Jerry West on the NBA logo.”

“Come on, that was no foul! It may be a violation of all the basic rules of human decency, but it’s not a foul.”

On Larry Johnson’s lackluster performance in the NBA Finals: “What a pathetic performance by this sad human being. This is a disgrace to the game of basketball and to the NBA. He played like a disgrace tonight. And he deserved it.”

(on Garnett) “He’s been working out in the off-season, on that incredible computer generated body he has.”

“This Portland team is nothing more than a band of pranksters.”

“Oylden Polynice, make a layup pleeeeeeeaaaaaasssseee!”

“You look at Vladimir Radmanovic, this guy is cut from stone. As if Michelangelo was reading and a lightning bolt flashed before him.”

“A new low for the New York Knicks.”

(at pistons brawl) “This is a disgrace.”

“Tonight the Spurs look to extend their lead to 3-0 over the Lakers. This time, however, they will have to do it on the Lakers’ home court. Duncan and Shaq have been magnificent for both teams, but so far the edge has gone to San Antonio. However, the real story line that awaits us tonight in Los Angeles is whether or not Kobe Bryant will actually throw a pass!”

[CavsSuperFan]

“If Eric Piatkowski continues playing at this level, he’s going to replace Jerry West on the NBA logo.”

Throw it down son, throw it down...

Gonna miss Bill...:lol

[ginobili's bald spot]

....no

I think you missed the joke brah. Maybe you will get it after you read some Bill Walton quotes.


“That was one of the worst passes I’ve ever seen, and certainly the worst pass in the history of the San Antonio Spurs.”

“When I think of Boris Diaw, I think of Beethoven in the age of the romantics.”

“If Eric Piatkowski continues playing at this level, he’s going to replace Jerry West on the NBA logo.”

“Cuttino Mobley has just made the two worst shot attempts in the history of this proud Houston Rockets franchise.”

“John Stockton is one of the true marvels, not just of basketball, or in America, but in the history of Western Civilization!”

“Yesterday we celebrated Sir Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity, today, Fabricio Oberto is defying it.”

“You look at Vladimir Radmanovic, this guy is cut from stone. As if Michelangelo was reading and a lightning bolt flashed before him.”

[benefactor]

He was great. It was like watching games with your stoner uncle.

Cheers Bill. :toast

[Sportcamper]

Thats it! He is the Intelligent but stoned guy! :lol

[Agloco]

:tu

Good Riddance. He was awful IMO.

[HarlemHeat37]

Easily the best analyst announcer of this past era..we're now stuck with guys like Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, and Doug Collins..

his Clippers games were even better than his National TV games, especially when you include Ralph Lawler's reactions..

[koriwhat]

thank god that hack is off the air! fuck him and his son! bandwagon piece of shit!

[Spursmania]

I really liked Walton's commentaries.

I will miss him. Thanks for the moments Bill:toast

[jdev82]

:depressed Walton was my favorite announcer. Terrible jokes but therein lied his charm.

lay no lied. moron. lied is the past tense of "lie" as in to mask the truth

[Xylus]

Definitely will be missed. His love affair with Boris Diaw has to be the funniest thing ever.

[bdubya]

He was good when he was actually talking about the game, but that was less than half of the time. I'm not exactly gonna miss him dripping man-love over Kidd's "eyes...his piercing green eyes" or Wade's body "as if sculpted by Michelangelo in a dream".

[La Peace]

God damnit,

I was patiently waiting on his return. I love his intellectual rhetoric and his silly humorous whim synthesis. Laughed so many times at his commentary, he told it like it was. He made the most mundane of games seem interesting, just going to miss him dearly.

Also one of my favorite Bruins.

[senorglory]

He annoyed the hell out of me, but was quite funny at times. I'll miss him for the headaches he'd give other commentators.

Agreed. He was especially good early on, before he switched to the full-time lead guy. One of the few that would (fairly) criticize Shaq during Shaq's first couple of seasons when the NBA was aggressively pumping up Shaq's greatness.