Bill Walton's Height 6ft 11 (212.7 cm) Former American Basketball Player. Thats kind of a rule of thumb. Wellat the risk of disrespecting a stand-up dude for the second time in the space of one columnlets ask David Robinson, against whom Sabonis held his own when the Soviet Union nearly knocked off Team USA in the gold-medal game of the 1986 FIBA World Championship, and when the USSR did defeat the Americans in the semifinals of the 1988 Summer Olympics (despite Sabonis playing shortly after recovering from his first Achilles rupture): Legendary big-man coach and talent evaluator Pete Newell told Sam Toperoff of The Atlantic Monthly in 1986 that he thought Sabonis could conceivably become the greatest player in the game and he would have taken the Lithuanian over Patrick Ewing in the 1985 draft if he had played for an American team. The next day, the reporters ask me, You were at the Rockets game, what do you think? I told them, I think I could block four shots I saw.. Its no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. My name is Giannis Antetokounmpo., Career (470 games, 1995-2003): 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks per game, 50.0% FG, 32.8% 3FG, 78.6% FT. By the time Sabonis finally came to the NBA in 1995, he was already 31 years old with a pair of ruptured Achilles tendons and a litany of leg and groin injuries rendering him a pale imitation of what he once was. He would need to stay trim and explosive enough to cover a ton of ground, because you can bet that every modern offense would make it Job No. Fortunately for Portland, Waltons skills spoke louder than his tongue. it's like your wingspan . I worried when he was thrown in jail with the group that took over the administration building, I worried when he stopped traffic on Wilshire Boulevard, and when he interrupted classes giving his views on the Vietnam War.. Did the Utah Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who. Walton goes on tangents that range from pink Tucson sunsets to wondering if a player with the last name "Bridges" can be related to a bridge that cars drive over. Walton had a bulging medical file before he even reached collegehe suffered multiple lower leg fractures and underwent knee surgery while still in high schooland struggled through broken bones in his spine and knee tendinitis at UCLA, resulting in another knee surgery before he joined the Blazers. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Type above and press Enter to search. NFL Player Damar Hamlin in Critical Condition after Collapsing on Field, Legendary Designer Vivienne Westwood Dies Aged 81, 10 Female IAS Officers who can inspire us. I was born tall, he said. 3x NCAA All-Tourney. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. At 7-foot-3, the pre-injury Sabonis had the springs to tip-dunk all over The Admiral and swat shots from the weak side with reckless abandon, plus the touch to step out on the floor and drain NBA 3-pointers. After years of trying and failing to conquer his free throw shooting demons, Chamberlain found success with underhand, granny-style shootinghe went 28-for-32 from the line that way in his 100-point gameonly to give it up because he felt like a sissy. He wanted to be cool, tall, vulnerable, and luscious, and he couldnt hide it. In an ESPN feature published earlier this year about the evolution of NBA big men, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said that if his notorious envelope-pushing team had ONeal on the roster, I would give him the ball 1,000 times, is my guess. Once he got it, keeping him from getting to the rimand from putting his man inside itwould be an awfully tall order, and would likely result in even more trips to the line for someone who averaged nearly 10 attempts per 36 minutes for his career. I see opportunities that should be rejected, but it scores. Im a big believer in that., More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball, This March 25, 2018, photo shows Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in action during an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif. From executives and scouts to coaches and analytics types, teams are paying closer attention to wingspan when considering players _ especially with what long arms can mean making a defensive impact. The former MVP has adapted and evolved to become an excellent conductor of Phillys offense. One of them was fellow Time Machine All-Star Andrei Kirilenko, who was also one of just two players in NBA history with multiple 5x5 gamesat least five points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocksto his credit. The statistical record is just unfathomable: 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per game as a rookie; 50.4 points in 48.5 minutes per game in 1961-62, headlined by the 100-point performance that still stands as the highest-scoring game in history; the most 40- and 50-point games ever, as well as the longest streaks of 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-point games; basically every major rebounding mark in existence; etc. In 33 games for the Clippers, Walton averaged 14.1 points, the fourth-highest total of his career, while shooting .528 from the field, a career high at the time. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Durant, the reigning NBA Finals MVP , is quick to point out that his length allows him to make up for other areas, including being far leaner than most NBA players. He wasnt just a lumbering giant, either: Chamberlain could sky to block shots and snare rebounds, and sprint the length of the court to fill the lane on the break. The Celtics' legendary playmaker is the only person in NBA history to win MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year in a career. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still don't. That is not the case for young players. It destroys the team, the Clippers Lloyd B. The mind reels at all the possibilitiesand at all the vitriol his burner accounts might unleash. His arms are long and he can block shots. K.C. Last, but certainly not least, for the Time Machine All-Stars: the men in the middle. NBA teams paying closer attention to players' wingspan. "At one time, they were long enough, and I can still put my own shoes and socks on," he quipped. "It's not how big you are, it's how big you play. As Bill Waltonwho knew a thing or two about how big men could dominate while still playing a team-first game (and whom well get to in a second! I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. Something went wrong. Press Esc to cancel. (For what its worth: Robinson would be a worthwhile choice for this exercise, too. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. But when you have the great game of basketball with all the ultimate winners of the genetic lottery its not how high you jump, its where you are and when you jump.. All You Touch and All You See: Dark Side of the Moon at 50. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. A wingspan always helps people, whether its blocking shots or deflections on defense.. Im not as fast laterally, Im not as athletic, Im not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length, said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. It is as if Agony and Ecstasy are Bill's Scylla and Charybdys, with his 7'+ wingspan wide enough to touch both simultaneously. After several Celtics said they liked the idea of having Walton as a teammate and as a backup for workhorses Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, Red Auerbach made the deal happen. A lot of basketball players dont, though, they have wider wingspans. He is named to the NBA's 50th and 75th-anniversary teams. Walton signed a then-record seven-year, $7 million contract to play with the Clippers, who had played just over .500 ball the year before. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. I was born tall, he said. Nobody knew what Giannis Antetokounmpo would be until Jason Kidd decided to put the ball in his hands, or until Mike Budenholzer made everybody stand farther away to give him more room to breathe. 1 to play a stretch-5 against him to try to draw him out of the middle and keep him from walling off the paint, or run dozens of pick-and-rolls aimed at getting him switched onto guards and forcing him to defend in space. The former West Coast radical in lumberjack clothing found a home in the land of turtlenecks and penny loafers. He played without pain for the first time in years, and he seemed happier than ever. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Kia Rookie Ladder: State of chase after All-Star, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer Wednesday 3/1, How the Spurs celebrated Black Heritage Night, NBA set to celebrate Noches neBA program, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for Feb. 28. (Or, for that matter, pushed the sliders all the way up on his son Domantas Sabonis, an excellent modern player and All-Star in his own right. With one of the strongest lineups in NBA history, Boston steamrolled through the regular season, compiling a 67-15 record. "A wingspan always helps people, whether it's blocking shots or deflections on defense.". The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . You look at size of hands, wingspans. In the midst of those broadcasting days, Walton was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Walton played in 55 games in 1983-84 and 67 in 1984-85, while the Clippers won 30 and 31 games, respectively. (As Jackie MacMullan wrote in When the Game Was Ours, Waltons one regret was that he never made Nixons enemies list.) Some things about Big Red, though, would translate perfectly to the modern game. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. You look at size of hands, wingspans. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax When he was healthy, Walton had few peers. "If your wingspan is more than your height, that's kind of abnormal. Weve seen him block guys at the rim and also get his hands on some basketballs off the dribble.. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nicknamed the Greek Freak in part because he stands 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan and giant hands. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. In one game he scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes. The other? But when you have the great game of basketball with all the ultimate winners of the genetic lottery its not how high you jump, its where you are and when you jump.. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. Yeah, I found that out once I bought my first suit, the 6-foot-5 McMillan, a 12-year pro now coaching the Pacers, said with a chuckle, realizing his arms stretched more than 3 feet each. He was right then; he blocked four or more shots four times in his first six NBA games, led the league in blocks three times, and still tops the all-time leaderboard in swats nearly 20 years after his retirement. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? May 29, 2022 Bill Walton was a two-time College Basketball Player of the Year, an MVP in the NBA, and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bill Walton #5 of the Boston Celtics in the Game 6 of the NBA Finals against . If somebody's short, hopefully they're quick. Basketball was a sport where under optimal conditions a great player with considerable ego disciplined himself and became unselfish. (Walton had his share of ego too. maybe one of the few cases of someone being around that 7ft mark and just saying 6ft 11. In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defense. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defense. Its like someone died in the family.. Assuming an unfamiliar supporting role, the 33-year-old Walton was playing with the excitement of a college kid. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. Never made Nixons enemies list. fortunately for Portland, Waltons skills spoke louder than his.... Of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the Clippers Lloyd B for and... A 7-3 wingspan and giant hands the strongest lineups in NBA history, Boston through... 'Re quick without pain for the first Time in years, and luscious, and they still don & x27! 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