Hall of Fame NBA Center Bill Walton Passes Away

NBA Commissioner Calls Him "One of a Kind"

88-Game Winning Streak with UCLA, Two NBA Championships

William Theodore "Bill" Walton III, the legendary center who helped lead UCLA to an unprecedented 88-game winning streak and won two NBA championships, has passed away at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer, the NBA announced Monday.

Walton's extraordinary career was marked by both triumph and controversy. He was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in the 1977-78 season and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement mourning Walton's passing, calling him "one of a kind." Silver praised Walton's "unforgettable personality" and his "unique and unparalleled legacy."