Portland Trailblazers shares this Bill Walton post on its social media accounts. Walton was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1974 by the Trailblazers. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS PHOTO
Basketball legend Bill Walton, who led the UCLA Bruins to two national titles before winning two championships in the NBA, has passed away at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer.
Walton died on Monday surrounded by his loved ones, according to a statement released by his family through the NBA.
"Bill Walton was truly one of a kind," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver remarked in a statement. "What I will remember most about him was his zest for life," he added.
Walton was a two-time NBA champion, winning titles with the Boston Celtics.
He was named NBA MVP for the 1977-78 season and was honored as a member of the league's 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
Standing 6-foot-11, Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.