Im a different person now than I was when I came into the NBA, he said in an interview with Sport magazine. In 1991, Walton won a Sports Emmy for best live television sports telecast and was named one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all-time by the American Sportscaster Association in 2009. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. The NBA's Noches ne B A celebration starts in March, where teams will commemorate fans and players across Latin American and U.S. Hispanic communities. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still dont. Its legit. Every asset that a player has might make up for something else. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. Washington Bullets, with his ability to grab rebounds and find open outlets under the floor, or the non-selfish ways of Bill Walton when playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. Durant, the reigning NBA Finals MVP , is quick to point out that his length allows him to make up for other areas, including being far leaner than most NBA players. Im not as fast laterally, Im not as athletic, Im not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length, said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. Jones keyed several championship runs in Boston, both as one of its players and later as its coach. After Game 2, X-rays showed that the navicular bone below Waltons left ankle was broken. What Are the Characteristics of a Great NBA Sixth Man of the Year? His arms are long and he can block shots. Theres a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. A wingspan always helps people, whether its blocking shots or deflections on defense.. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. That is not the case for young players. it maybe is Bill a little closer and gaining more height, there's other shots they look closer in team photos, or just general photos. Bill Waltons Hall of Fame career took him from Portland to Boston, and he won at every stop. (The arrangement was not unprecedented; Elgin Baylor squeezed in a game a week for the Lakers in 1962 while serving in the Army Reserve.) This does not change the fact that, shortly after he won MVP honors, Dream summarily digested him.). In the book Basketball: A Love Story, Olajuwon describes the first time he saw an NBA game. Everything else is said for me or explained to me, right? Seems like our man Bill wouldve made for an interesting podcast guest! "It's nothing that I heard about until I got to the league, or right before I got into the league, they're like, 'We'd like to measure your wingspan.' Any time you think youre too small to make a difference in the world youve never spent the night alone in bed with a mosquito. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. The Walton-led Blazers rampaged through their first 60 games with a 50-10 record. Press Esc to cancel. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still don't. That is not the case for young players. But I've grown into it." Photos by PR Photos In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defense. Bill's full name is William Theodore Walton. . He could score, too, but you could run your whole offense through him, and his basketball IQ was off the charts for a 7-footer., Maybe the most exciting thing about the idea of bringing a young Sabonis to the present day is that wed get to see what he wouldve looked like playing against elite opposition every night. Height 6'11" (210cm) Wingspan 7'3" (220cm) Weight 210 lbs (95 kg) Team Portland Trail Blazers. Look at John Stocktons arms or Avery Johnsons arms and theyre very long, and their hands are very big. Waltons satisfaction with capturing his second championship and winning the Sixth Man Award was immeasurable. "It's not how big you are, it's how big you play. Im not as fast laterally, Im not as athletic, Im not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length, said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. The NBA playoffs begin Saturday, and an extra inch of reach can lead to a blocked shot or steal that might alter a series or a season. Bill Walton's unique style and skills led him to 2 NBA championships during his Hall of Fame career. Weve seen him block guys at the rim and also get his hands on some basketballs off the dribble.. Oakland, Calif. Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. Walton once again had the chance to play for a world champion, and his childhood hopes of playing for the Celtics were realized. If youre wondering what it might look like, the Big Baryshnikov has a comp handy. The controversies that had embroiled Walton up to this point were mild compared to what would follow. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. His arms are long and he can block shots. Give a young Wilt a steady diet of reps as a creator in the half court and more space to work with, and who knows what alternate pathways to dominance might open? William Theodore Walton III Twitter : BillWalton (Big Red, Grateful Red, Red Baron, Redwood, Chief) Position: Center Shoots: Right 6-11 , 210lb (211cm, 95kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 2x All Star 1976-77 TRB Champ 1976-77 BLK Champ 2x NBA Champ 2x All-NBA 2x All-Defensive 1976-77 Finals MVP 1977-78 MVP I'm not as fast laterally, I'm not as athletic, I'm not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length," said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. While playing only 19.3 minutes per contest, he averaged 7.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.33 bpg. )told Grantlands Jonathan Abrams back in 2011, [Sabonis] could do everything. From Wilt the Stilt to Hakeem the Dream, we pay homage to the big men who ruled their erasbut would have been even more fun in this one. Chamberlain essentially wrote the scoring record books of his era, using his physical dominance to overpower nearly every opponent he faced. In one game he scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Stay tuned for more updates on LatestinBollywood. Given his love for the spotlight, his polarizing on- and off-court presence, and his sensitivity to blowback, how would a figure as towering as Wilt Chamberlain play in the social media era? But a modern Wilt would profile, at minimum, as a mammoth rim protector and interior deterrent; think a thicker Rudy Gobert (a close analogue in terms of measurables) with a collegiate high jumpers hops. 2x NCAA Tourney MOP. After the 1984-85 campaign Walton went shopping. In his first and only All-Star Game appearance (he was selected in 1977 but could not play because of injury), Walton recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of play. (OK, I agree: That was a very Bill Waltonass thing to say.) Fewer possessions means fewer shots, rebounds, assists, and block opportunities to go around. In the midst of those broadcasting days, Walton was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. He claimed to be around the 6ft 11 mark, and on his twitter in 2015 still saying, it's a strange oneI do think he could look near 7ft, but maybe he really did measure under it and simply rounded off to 6ft 11 rather than up to the 7ft. Combine that with what would assuredly be a significantly curtailed workload in the age of load managementWilt averaged an absurd 45.8 minutes per game for his careerand youll get fewer mythological stat lines. Im a big believer in that., More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball, This March 25, 2018, photo shows Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in action during an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif. From executives and scouts to coaches and analytics types, teams are paying closer attention to wingspan when considering players _ especially with what long arms can mean making a defensive impact. One of them was fellow Time Machine All-Star Andrei Kirilenko, who was also one of just two players in NBA history with multiple 5x5 gamesat least five points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocksto his credit. Any time you think youre too small to make a difference in the world youve never spent the night alone in bed with a mosquito. Whats legacy, anyway? Once he hit the other side of 30, thoughand once he got with George Karl, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and the gang in SeattlePerkins started more aggressively stretching his game out to the perimeter, becoming one of the first full-fledged floor-spacing bigs in the game. Then, in February, after a 113-92 trouncing of Philadelphia, Walton was forced to the sideline with an injured left foot. The idea was to expose the bones to less stress when Waltons feet hit the ground, particularly after skying high for a dunk or rebound. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. Its possible that version of Sabonis wouldnt be a generational sensation in the modern game. Walton, along with George Mullen, penned an op-ed in San Diego Times, in which he advocated for . Bill Walton. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. If were going to wonder how Wilt Chamberlain would look in the 2020 NBA, we must also consider what the present might hold for Wilt Chamberneezy. With one of the strongest lineups in NBA history, Boston steamrolled through the regular season, compiling a 67-15 record. . But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still dont. He was disruptive as hell, registering a block on more than 5 percent of his opponents 2-point tries and logging a steal on more than 2 percent of their offensive possessions; only six other players who have played at least 5,000 career minutes have done both. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. Even if we set aside his infamous bedroom claimswhich, of course, we most certainly would notWilt still would be an object of unbridled fascination today. 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