Purchased raw, sent off for grading myself. Super stoked with the result! Though I never saw him play, he's always been a fascinating figure & I had to own an auto of some sort, so I picked up this beauty in 2022.
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Been a Blazers fan ever since moving to Oregon in 2009 for college, and being that I went to college for a degree in history - the history of any teams/leagues is certainly something I take great interest in.
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Bill Walton is certainly one of the most colourful guys out there, but beyond his wonderfully eccentric calls of Pac-12 basketball, his love of the Grateful Dead, or his activism - there was one of the greatest players to ever suit up in this game.
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A league MVP & a finals MVP when the Blazers beat Dr J & the 76ers in '77 at the time that Kareem was humming, and of course having come back from a devastating run of injuries to win a second NBA ring as 6th Man of the Year for the Celtics. You only need to listen to the testimonies of guys he played with to know just how much he is respected within the game - highly recommend the 4-part ESPN 30 for 30 on him titled "The Luckiest Guy in the World" for an insight into what makes up one of the most unique elite athletes we've had.
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Sidenote: I was quite annoyed when the NBA 75 came out a couple years ago, & a bunch of talking heads questioned Waltons place on the list due to his lack of games/accolades (while trying to advocate for people with less elite accolades). NBA MVP, finals MVP, 2x rings is elite by any standard - even more so with the huge injury troubles he battled. Understanding the historical context of both just how good he was, as well as the injury troubles that could be far worse at that time, is important for the future basketball fans. Do not let talking heads fool you - Big Red is a true great.
