Greatest Basketball Players - Bill Walton - UCLA Bruins

March 15, 2008

Greatest NCAA College Basketball Careers of All Time: Bill Walton Bill Walton was born November 5, 1952 in La Mesa, California. He would stay close to home upon entering college playing under John Wooden at UCLA from 1971 to 1974. In his first season as a Bruin, Walton led the team to a 30-0 record, while beating each team by an average of 30 points. They followed that season with another perfect 30 and 0 year in 1972-73 taking home the national championship both years. As a team, Walton and UCLA went on a record-setting 88 game winning streak during that same span. Walton was the backbone of the early 1970’s Bruin dynasty. A dynasty that is considered one of the most dominating, if not the most, to ever play college basketball. As the team’s leader, he would take home the award for top amateur athlete in the United States, the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the year honors. In the National championship game in 1973, the big man shot 22 for 23 from the field and racked up 44 of the Bruins’ 87 points in their win over Memphis State. A performance that many hail as the greatest offensive performance in American college basketball history. Before graduation Walton would add two more championships leaving his record with a perfect 4 for 4 and extending UCLA’s run to 9. UCLA’s domination of the NCAA halted at ten consecutive championships. Bill Walton is considered a key figure in UCLA’s unprecedented run. Walton would enter the NBA viewed as the savior and number one draft pick for the Portland Trail Blazers. After two injury-ravaged seasons, Walton would pluck the Blazers from the bottom of the barrel all the way to the NBA championship.