Walton likes Yao but isn't sure if he should go No. 1 By DAVID BARRON Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle After six years of direct answers, definitive opinions and outspoken commentary from Bill Walton, we have finally raised a subject on which the Big Redhead has no opinion. While riding his bicycle from San Diego to Los Angeles -- and, no, I am not making this up -- in preparation for NBC's broadcast today of Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference finals, Walton phoned in to say that he has no opinion on whether the Rockets should select Yao Ming with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. "I think Yao Ming is going to be a great player in the NBA for many years," Walton said. "Whether you take him with the No. 1 pick, the Rockets are paying Carroll Dawson and other people a lot of money to make a decision like that. "When you look at this NBA draft, I don't think that you see a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or a Shaquille O'Neal. And for me to say who should be taken No. 1, that is out of my realm of knowledge." Well, you can imagine the shock and confusion, given the fact that Walton has never in recent years failed to offer an opinion on anything basketball-related. Pressed on the matter, he finally said, "I don't know what to do. ... If I were making that pick, I wouldn't be on this call." And then ... karma caught up with him. His bike had a flat tire.
Man...Walton is getting better with age. He loves Hakeem, and he might be the most unintentionally funny man alive. Remember when he announced the Clippers game against the Rocks?..."Oh...Jason Collier and Dan Langhi are showing signs of the Rockets glory days with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler"...and when Jason Collier had a long pass downcourt--"Oh! Jason Collier with shades of Hakeem with that outlet pass!!" Hahaha...I can't imagine how i ever hated the guy!
So true, Walton is hilarious. I watch a lot of Clipper games and every one of them with him crack me up, if you don't take him seriously because all his comments are totally out there. But on NBC I hate him, he is just so different on NBC especially when Snapper Jones takes him so seriously the jokes become lame arguements.
dude, reading his Where's Walton diary entries were like reading The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. All the dude did was quote Grateful Dead and BOb Dylan songs for thirty days and talk all metaphysical and what not.
