Here is the ultimate pro-Yao Waltonism uttered during the first nationally televised game in Yao's career: "Yao Ming knows more about everything than anyone in the history of the world." That was one for the ages and absolutely hilarious. I love listening to the guy!!!
Yall gotta understand hes a big guy he only love the centers and the powerd forwards. And I know yall love to hate him. I rather have him anounce cause he start saying damb stuff and it gets funny.
I'm thrilled the Logo placed him in Memphis -- I abhored him on telecasts. Of course he's doing too good a job in Elvisland so maybe I should be careful for what I wish.
there is nothing to "understand" about walton's humor. if he was trying to be funny when he said stupid stuff, then maybe he would laugh. the problem is, he is totally serious! every single game he does, he always says "thats the greatest/worst ___(insert a kind of basketball play or player here)____ EVER! such a loser....cant stand the guy. one second he's bashing a team, the next second he is giving them props. horrible.
He's grown on me in the last few years. I liked what he said about his boy... "He's certainly the most handsome Walton to ever play in the NBA. You know, he's 23, living on the beach and playing in the NBA. If he's not having a good time I have failed as a father." The way he said that last sentence made it clear that the inference was Luke better be getting lots of off-court action. Hilarious.
I can't believe someone just dissed on Stuart Scott... the whole ESPN announcing crew is a blast... TNT ain't bad either... except for that old fart on the Memphis broadcast that couldn't say anything correctly...
i'm surprised there isnt an identical thread for john thompson. listening to him on monday on tnt, you would think he thought yao was the worst player to ever play in the nba. all he did was criticize yao. walton, on the other hand, praises everything yao does, and its actually a little extreme.
My favorite part was when he said "Maurice Taylor, the leading candidate for sixth man of the year honors" ... Whaaa?
Steven A. Smith. That guy is a complete tool. Same with Dick Vitale. He's so old and senile, he needs to be in a diaper dandy.
John Thompson is a coach. Bill Walton was a player. They provide their perspective given their background. Keep that in mind when listening to them. And you'll hear what they have to say.
Once you stop taking him seriously he's pretty entertaining to listen to. In fact I'd say that last night Walton had one of the greatest broadcasts by any NBA commentator in the last thrity years. Shades of ... Um, dang I'm going blank on legendary commentators, but if I could remember one Walton would have reminded me of him.
This board definitely has a case of bipolar disorder. Walton was thoroughly hammered in a thread a couple months ago...now, it's about 50-50. Walton is awesome...
Basketball is an entertainment business in which Walton is a valuable asset. His overreacting way of commenting is well balanced by more serious analysis by Sean. A wonderful paring.
Back in the 90s, was Big Red a supporter of the Rockets, or was he a hater? The board seems split. The way I remember it: both. In the early 90s, before the first title, Walton seemed particularly hard on both Hakeem and the Rockets. Especially during all those heartbreaking series against the Sonics. Then, after the championship, Walton spent his free time writing sonnets about Hakeem. He gushed with praise, almost as if he was making up for years of negativity. (Imagine A-Train turning into an optomist, it would take years of chipper comments to even the score. Not that we want you to change, A-Train, we love you just the way you are). Since then he's been pro-Rockets, especially with his enthusiasm for Yao, praise that's downright Frodo and Sam. For me, Walton's the guy I love to hate. He goes out on a limb and that's refreshing. Too often, announcers settle for the safe, uninspired, melba toast commentary. At least Walton's provocative. He dramatizes the most ordinary moments, using an epic tone that I like to call "Walton-Heroic." And sometimes he makes comments that are shockingly accurate and insightful. More often, though, he'll say something that is so idiotic, so absurd, that it cracks me up and is my favorite part of the game. Some of my favorite such lines: Several years ago, maybe in 97 or so, it's game 6 of the NBA Finals. Only five minutes left in the 4th quarter. Jordan dives for a loose ball and shows a ton of effort. Walton praises Jordan's heart, saying this is what the playoffs are all about. He then says, stone-serious, in perect Walton-Heroic, "Marv, the playoffs . . . have BEGUN." Describing the Rockets back in the glory days, that halycon age when we when we went nuts from the 3-point line: "It's not how many 3-pointers the Rockets make. It's how many they make." On Pete Marovich: "Marovich was a fierce, but great competitor." There are so many more, but these spring to mind. As a running joke, my friends and I sometime use Walton-Heroic during every day things. "You bought Bud instead of Shiner? TEEERRRRIIBBLLEE call. That's a DISGRACE to the art of beer-making. One of the worst decisions in the history of bar-hopping." Or at work: "This memo is special. It hearkens back to the great ones, to Gates, to Rockefeller, to Henry Ford." Or: " The clean logic of that spreadsheet is what corporate finance is all about. The Net Present Value calculation is PERFECT, a formula that would make Adam Smith proud." [sigh.] Walton. Love him or hate him, he gives the game some richness, color, character.
oops. the second walton quote should read: "it's not how many 3-point shots they make, it's how many they take."
