RIP Bill Walton: Revisiting the legendary hall of famer's thoughts on Nikola Jokic

Monday was a sad one for the basketball world - and the world in general - as we lost a true legend in every sense of the word, Bill Walton. Walton passed away from cancer at age 71 leaving behind a legacy that touched every corner of the basketball world and produced countless memories that will live on forever.

Walton was a unique one-of-one personality and he was a larger-than-life figure wherever he went. The stories, videos, memories, and tributes being shared across media and social media all day Monday were amazing, touching, and inspirational. He had countless iconic moments as a player, broadcaster, and a human being in general, from civil rights protests to Grateful Dead concerts. 

The amazing career of Bill Walton

Walton was one of the greatest college basketball players of all time at UCLA before coming into the NBA leading the Portland Trail Blazers to their only championship and winning a league MVP Award. Walton was on his way to being one of the greatest players in NBA history, but sadly his career was largely derailed due to injuries.

He was still able to win the 6th Man of the Year award and help the Celtics win a title in 1986 but his playing career was cut short as his body couldn’t hold up. But Bill made the most of it, entering an incredible career as a broadcaster, calling NBA Finals and calling Pac 12 games up until this past season.

Walton shares his admiration for Nikola Jokic

Of the countless memories and tributes being shared, one stuck out with Walton speaking about Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic back in 2018 in a piece for the Athletic. As told to Nick Kosmider, Walton said the following about the Joker:

"“He’s a beautiful player who plays a mental game. He has what seems to have been lost in the world, which is peripheral vision. When you walk down the street in life, when you drive a car in life, when you ride a bike in the world on a street, it is staggering the lack of peripheral vision. But Nikola Jokic is the antidote to so many of our problems in the world.”"

- Bill Walton on Nikola Jokic

"“When you see someone like a Nelson Mandela or a Martin Luther King or a Mahatma Gandhi, someone who sees the future before anyone else does, knows how to get to where they need to be, where they want to be, that is Nikola Jokic. Happiness begins when selfishness ends. In a game that has been taken over by incessant dribbling for yourself, Nikola Jokic is such a breath of fresh air. And it’s his imagination. Watching him play basketball is like watching Bob Dylan come up with a song.”"

- Bill Walton on Nikola Jokic

These quotes are perfectly representative about Walton and the way he viewed basketball, and all aspects of the world. He had an incredible mind and an incredible way with words that allowed him to paint pictures - sometimes eccentric ones - that delighted his conversation partners, and his audience as a commentator for many years.

Bill Walton will be greatly missed. I still haven’t fully processed that he’s gone and that I won’t be listening to his voice, calling games and telling crazy stories late at night in West Coast college arenas. This is a tragic loss and a sad day. RIP Bill Walton and condolences to his family and friends.