Bill Walton, the legendary basketball player and sportscaster, died Monday at 71, according to the NBA.
The two-time NBA champion -- first for the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, and then for the Boston Celtics in 1986 -- died of cancer and was surrounded by family, the NBA said. He is survived by his wife and four sons.
Like Abdul-Jabbar, Walton won three national player of the year awards in college, where he was a star player on the UCLA Bruins. He also won national titles in 1972 and '73, both undefeated seasons, and a still-record 88-game winning streak. The center earned league MVP honors the following year, but broke his foot late in the season. Despite attempting to come back for the postseason, he was re-injured and Portland lost in the first round.
He had one last brush with greatness during the 1985-86 season when he signed with the Boston Celtics to be Robert Parish's backup. He stayed healthy enough to play in 80 games and won the NBA's sixth man of the year award. The team, led by that year's NBA MVP, Larry Bird, went on to win the title over Houston.
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