NBA player and broadcaster Bill Walton dies at age 71

Former National Basketball Association player Bill Walton passed away on Monday after a battle with cancer at 71 years old. 

“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement posted on the social media platform, X.

Walton was a two-time NBA champion. He was placed in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

He was a two-time champion at UCLA and won national player of the year three times. He later became the top pick in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, according to CBS News. 

He joined ESPN in 2002 as an analyst and commentator.

"Bill then translated his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game to broadcasting, where he delivered insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans," Silver's statement continued. "But what I will remember most about him was his zest for life. He was a regular presence at league events -- always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth. I treasured our close friendship, envied his boundless energy and admired the time he took with every person he encountered."