Why are all of yall worried about Bill Walton when u can Watch Bill Warel and Calvin Murphy. They are funnier. Except when Calvin talks about himself.
BILL WALTON's comments on Yao in the game VS Pacers Here are some examples... I just cannot take them.... 1. (at very early stage of the game) He played at a higher level than anyone else on this court. Far ahead. The others are not even close. 2. Isiah Thomas could do everything, just like You Ming can. 3. (When YM tried a steal) He was ahead of everything. 4. (When YM blocked J.O'Neal's dunk attempt) Oh, man, that's not gonna work in front of him. 5. He was sooo skillful, sooo unselfish, sooo polished, sooo ... 6. (When Yao was substituted and putting on the bench for a while) He's been sitting there like eternity!
Walton knows what he's talking about. He got me excited about Yao a year ago and lets not forget about this: Huge Upside by Bill Walton ESPN The Magazine December 25, 2000 As we approach the halfway point of the Age of Shaq, the search for a successor has extended to the least likely of places: China. Why? If you watched the Olympics, you know. I was there, and after watching Yao Ming compete against the best players in the world, I left Sydney dizzy with the possibilities. Simply put, the 20-year-old Yao has a chance to alter the way the game of basketball is played. I've seen hundreds of talented prospects look promising in tryouts, only to disappoint once they got on the court against polished performers. I'm sure that won't be the case with the 7'6" Yao. This guy has skills, competitiveness and basketball intelligence that far exceed his limited background. As I watched his crisp and imaginative passes, felt the energy surge when he'd whip an outlet to launch a fast break and noted his decisionmaking and great court demeanor, I knew I was peering into the future. Yao Ming The first thing that struck me about Yao in Sydney was the way he combines grace with size. He carried a beautifully sculpted physique (he weighs 265 pounds) despite only recently committing to formal weight training and conditioning programs. His base is solid -- size 18 feet under a powerfully muscled lower body -- yet he's amazingly nimble. The mechanics of his jump and hook shots, while not classic, are most certainly sound. And consistent. His jumper is dangerous out to 20 feet, and he can hook you to death with either hand. The two best young players I've ever seen were Lew Alcindor (before he was Kareem) and Arvydas Sabonis. At this stage, Yao is not the equal of either. But his upside is so unlimited that when he does enter the NBA draft, I can't conceive of any other player being chosen before him. It usually takes a foreign player at least two years to adjust to American culture and perform at his best. The language barrier is always the initial hurdle, though that should be a lesser concern for Yao. Three years ago he spoke no English. Since then, he has been to the U.S. as a guest of Nike and been a participant in Michael Jordan's summer youth basketball camp, and he's learned enough English to communicate adequately with coaches and teammates. Yao will have more of a challenge adjusting to the NBA lifestyle: rich restaurant food instead of the Chinese staples of fish and rice, a different hotel room every other night, the constant trips in and out of airports. His life will be quite different from the one he leads now. Yao was recruited to play for the Sharks' junior team seven years ago, but it's an enormous stretch to compare the Chinese developmental process to ours. The facilities in China do not measure up to our standards either. Nor does the equipment. It's ironic that much of the world's sporting equipment is now produced in China, but that equipment is available to its own athletes on only a limited basis. The poor quality of coaching in China and the multiple levels of bureaucracy are also hurdles for Yao. Basketball innovation and creativity are absent in China, where longer, harder and faster practices are thought to be the true path to success. And while the Chinese are aware of the need to upgrade the level of coaching, the extreme nationalism in China and noncompetitive salaries prevent the much needed influx of U.S. coaches. There's only one American now coaching in China. Former NBA player Mike McGee coaches a team in the league Yao plays in, and his impact is severely limited since he isn't associated with the all-important national team. I think the quality of international competition, especially in China, holds back Yao as well. The international game is slow-paced and almost contact-free, and you face a top opponent no more than a few times a year. The speed, intensity and physical nature of every possession in the NBA makes Chinese basketball look like it's in slow motion. Despite these hurdles, the people who run basketball in this country continue to dream of a truly international NBA. Why not? If you can find a Larry Bird in French Lick, Ind., a Kevin McHale in Hibbing, Minn., or a John Stockton in Spokane, Wash., why can't you find a future star in Russia, Brazil or China? A year ago, the Mavericks used a second-round pick to draft 7'1" Wang Zhi-Zhi, the first Chinese national selected by an NBA team. Wang is a good player, more along the lines of a Toni Kukoc, and the Mavericks are still working to get him under contract. But it's Yao who has the NBA truly excited. Granted, I can't predict Yao's continued good health. Or how hard and long he'll work to develop his game. Or how he'll stand up to playing 100 NBA games a year. Or whether he'll be able to overcome his relatively short arms, suspect explosiveness and less-than-great lateral mobility. Yes, Yao is unquestionably a work-in-progress. But if I were an NBA coach, I'd like him to be my work-in-progress. He's 7'6" and incredibly graceful and coordinated. Over the past 15 years, the NBA has put a higher premium on physical talent than on skill. The international game favors the opposite, skill without the physical prowess. Yao Ming has the chance to be the bridge that spans both worlds.
I too like Bill Walton , remember when he used to kiss the other team's ass during the rockets championship years, it feels alot better when hes praising us. Last night I was cracking up when he commented on Rudy T playing D , and running the floor. They showed Rudy jumping and walton said "Air Rudy" it was funny as hell.
Walton can't help himself when it comes to gushing over Yao. He's a center. From an old Feigen article: "One of my biggest concerns is centers claiming to be forwards or guards," Walton said. "Center is the greatest position in the world. And we have a whole generation of players led by Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Tim Duncan coming in and saying, `We're not centers.' That's not a choice you can make. When you are the best player on the team, you have a duty, an obligation and responsibility to do what other guys can't do. "Playing center is the most fun position in the game of basketball," Walton said. "I think that's been lost. When you're the center, you control everything -- the backboards, the pace of the game. It's magnificent." Personally, I first hated Walton b/c he hurt us bad in the '86 finals. I think Walton had a low opinion of Akeem because of that series. When the Rox started playing better in the early 90's, Walton slandered us a lot -- probably because he felt that Dream could do much more. The funny thing is, after we won our championships, Walton became one of Dream's biggest supporters.
Walton needed to spread it around a little. He had virtually nothing nice to say about anybody but Yao...that is when he managed to fit in anything at all about another player. The only other compliment I heard was towards Reggie. He dissed Steve, Cat (deservedly), Mooch, Eddie, MoT, Rice. You wonder how we won the game at all, according to Walton, except that we have God on our team. Giving Yao some praise is one thing but he never swayed from the darn topic. C'mon Bill, try talking about anything else. I could only imagine how bad it would be if I was a non-Rocket fan. Poor Pacer fans.
It was pretty funny because he kept on complimenting the Rockets on national television... He really didn't say anything about the Pacers. He loves Yao Ming. I remember when the NBA Draft was occurring...and they were all saying Yao was a mystery and there was that dumb commentator named Tom. Anyways, Bill was correct. Mo Taylor just stunk up the place. And he was right when he said to take Cuttino Mobley out, but the Cat improved...
"Im-poss-ibble like trying to eat an ice cream cone from the bottom up." Walton (on something last night) Last year when he did commentary for the clippers, Sean Rooks hit a lot of semi big shots and Walton use to always say "where would the clippers be without Sean Rooks?" In one game he said it about 10 times
Kidrock8, You're RIGHT ON re. Walton. I used to dislike him but have come to apppreciate that he's the most insightful analyst in the business. But you've got to understand his wit and tongue-in-cheeck sarcasm. And that's a turnoff for some. You should hear him goad and berate Shawn Bradley for his lack of heart and effort! Dallas Rocket
I don't think anyone has come right out and said it: Walton is (or was) an acid head! That's right, LSD. Now, if you have happened in your lifetime to have absorbed a hit of acid here or there, then, you are much more likely to appreciate Walton. Why has nobody said this????
Yeah I remember hating him because he couldn't bring himself to say a good thing about the Rockets for a long time.
i'm just pumped i started a thread-- another solid Walton-ism on Cato last night- - - "Kelvin Cato is everywhere so far- - 9 rebounds in the first half; at seven million dollars a year, clearly it's time for a raise" --great posts everyone; especially about the Pacers; we might as well have been playing the washington generals. --Indiana was just the other team in blue for Walton, the guys getting in the way of Yao's inevitable destiny of greatness. "Rudy Tomjanovich forced to call timeout, nothing going right for the Rockets -- he's got to stop this before it gets out of hand"-- score at the time: Pacers 23 Rockets 26 --walton's awesome
"One of my biggest concerns is centers claiming to be forwards or guards," Walton said. "Center is the greatest position in the world. And we have a whole generation of players led by Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Tim Duncan coming in and saying, `We're not centers.' That's not a choice you can make. When you are the best player on the team, you have a duty, an obligation and responsibility to do what other guys can't do. "Playing center is the most fun position in the game of basketball," Walton said. "I think that's been lost. When you're the center, you control everything -- the backboards, the pace of the game. It's magnificent." "Hakeem Olajuwon, so many moves, so much power." "Such balance, such poise" Those that don't like Bill Walton should lighten up. The guy is praising Yao and I love it. You guys should love it too, remember, we are Rockets fans. But if you just listen to the exageration in Waltons comments you will find it hilarious.
