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Social media reacts to death of Bill Walton, 'The Luckiest Guy in the World'

Barack Obama, Magic Johnson, Dr. J and plenty of others all honored Bill Walton on Monday

frank schwab
Senior writer
·7 min read
595

Bill Walton brought joy to seemingly everyone who crossed his path. That was evident in the way his life was celebrated on Monday after his death was announced by the NBA.

Walton died on Monday after a long battle with cancer in recent years. He was 71.

The announcement brought forth an outpouring of sorrow, but also joy for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer whose glee for life and basketball was so great that a 2023 ESPN documentary on him was titled "The Luckiest Guy in the World."

There were many official remembrances from his career as one of the greatest college basketball players ever at UCLA, and his professional career that, while limited by injuries, included an NBA MVP award and two championships.

The NBA announced that Bill Walton died at age 71. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Plenty in the sports world remembered Bill Walton on Monday after his death. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Plenty of other big names, both in and out of the sports world, took time to honor Walton on Monday, including former President Barack Obama.

Everyone who covered basketball seemed to have a touching or funny story about a friendly interaction with Walton.

Walton was an easy choice for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his career as a player, but a new generation that might not have seen him play was introduced to him as one of the more unique announcers ever. Walton never took himself too seriously, and his weird one-liners and goofy yet genuine antics were remembered on Monday as well.