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.. The explosive Russell Westbrook is 6-3, with a wingspan of 6-8, which helps him be one of the best rebounding guards in history. Rob Slater on November 5, 2015. Walton, along with George Mullen, penned an op-ed in San Diego Times, in which he advocated for . Happy Birthday Bill Walton: An Ode to the Tallest Deadhead. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. But a modern Wilt would profile, at minimum, as a mammoth rim protector and interior deterrent; think a thicker Rudy Gobert (a close analogue in terms of measurables) with a collegiate high jumpers hops. A two-time NBA champion, Bill Walton could do it all -- and often did -- throughout an injury-plagued career. You look at size of hands, wingspans. But the Celtics Brogdon is mounting a well-rounded campaign that hearkens back to some of the earliest Sixth Men. 1 overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. He was such a force down low that the NBA literally changed the rules, and the width of the lane, to mitigate his influence. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. He also set a career high with a .562 field-goal percentage. Free (later World B. The explosive Russell Westbrook is 6-3, with a wingspan of 6-8, which helps him be one of the best rebounding guards in history. "You're able to deflect the pass or block shots.". You guessed it: The one who turned the 1984 draft into prom night. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. )told Grantlands Jonathan Abrams back in 2011, [Sabonis] could do everything. Years before the Kevin Garnetts and Kevin Durants of the world began lying about their heights to make themselves seem smaller, Walton was reported to be 7-foot-2 but listed as 6-foot-11 [because] he didnt like the stigma of being a 7-footer. Walton didnt want to be chained to the block and forced into the same old dump it down and drop step monotony; he wanted to be free to explore the outer limits of both his skills and those of his teammates. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. You make up a lot of ground. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. At one time, they were long enough, and I can still put my own shoes and socks on, he quipped. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. The explosive Russell Westbrook is 6-3, with a wingspan of 6-8, which helps him be one of the best rebounding guards in history. But when you have the great game of basketball with all the ultimate winners of the genetic lottery it's not how high you jump, it's where you are and when you jump.". Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. In his best yearthe 2006-07 campaign, when he earned his first and only All-Star nodOkur averaged 18 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point range on 4.2 attempts per game. I had no problem with him during the season, Wooden told the Los Angeles Times. After his arrest as a junior, Walton issued a statement that read: Your generation has screwed up the world. The NBA playoffs begin Saturday, and an extra inch of reach can lead to a blocked shot or steal that might alter a series or a season. 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. Youre able to deflect the pass or block shots.. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Bill Walton. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who. 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. This is not intended to be a definitive, inarguable list, or a scientifically rigorous exercise. As the man himself put it in Basketball: A Love Story: Basketball is a symphony, and we could take that ball and become artists ourselves. Itd be cool to hear what kind of music hed make today. 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. Find the latest Bollywood News and Celebrity Gossips from Latest In Bollywood. "You make up a lot of ground. (Walton had played drums with the Dead at a show in Egypt, and he sometimes took teammates to shows and brought band members to team practices.). Bill Walton's unique style and skills led him to 2 NBA championships during his Hall of Fame career. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. Im a different person now than I was when I came into the NBA, he said in an interview with Sport magazine. 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. Washington Bullets, with his ability to grab rebounds and find open outlets under the floor, or the non-selfish ways of Bill Walton when playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. He returned for the Blazers postseason opener, but despite a pain-killing injection before Game 2, he couldnt continue past halftime; subsequent X-rays revealed a broken navicular bone. Ive always been tall. The Walton-led Blazers rampaged through their first 60 games with a 50-10 record. 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. 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. During the season he was hampered only by a broken nose, the 13th of his 13-year career. In 1991, Walton won a Sports Emmy for best live television sports telecast and was named one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all-time by the American Sportscaster Association in 2009. Walton also used the time off to attend Stanford law school. Then came what many felt was the death knell of Waltons career. That could work against ONeal, who famously struggled from the stripe, shooting just 52.7 percent for his career; but a half-decade after the institution of new rules aimed at reducing intentional fouling to improve game flow, it might not be quite as big an issue as you might think. His arms are long and he can block shots. It destroys the team, the Clippers Lloyd B. Position: Center. If youre wondering what it might look like, the Big Baryshnikov has a comp handy. He was named to the Pacific 8 All-Conference first team 3 times and was Pac-8 Conference Player of the Year for three consecutive years. Warriors 7-foot center JaVale McGee went through only a handful of pre-draft workouts for NBA teams, hardly a prized prospect after a career at Nevada. Any time you think youre too small to make a difference in the world youve never spent the night alone in bed with a mosquito. What We Learned From Testing, and a Bahrain GP Preview, Succession Hall of Fame: Which Side Are You On?. Though remembered by many for a career plagued by injuries and a personal life spiced by controversy, Bill Walton won high praise from players and coaches alike during his checkered career. But Waltons history of injury didnt keep the Portland Trail Blazers from making the gangly ex-Bruin the No. 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. Outside of a select few scorers who still get a bunch of low-block touches, like Joel Embiid or LaMarcus Aldridge, post-ups these days are more often a vehicle for creating catch-and-shoot 3s, or a way to attack mismatches when defenses switch themselves into a mouse in the house situation, than a main feature of an attack. Warriors 7-foot center JaVale McGee went through only a handful of pre-draft workouts for NBA teams, hardly a prized prospect after a career at Nevada. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. During his prime as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers in the mid-1970s a prime that lasted a mere three years Walton drew comparisons to such players as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell. If somebodys short, hopefully theyre quick. He had the skills of Larry Bird and Pete Maravich. How much better could he have been before the injuries? It was Burleson's tremendous wingspan clearing out underneath the basket that allowed Monte Towe and David Thompson to work their magic. 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. Every game was a challenge, and he didnt let any of us forget that.. 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. But dozens of injuries, most infamously a chronically broken bone in his left foot, robbed Walton of the storybook career that seemed sure to be his. Look at John Stocktons arms or Avery Johnsons arms and theyre very long, and their hands are very big. A wingspan always helps people, whether its blocking shots or deflections on defense.. Before playing a single minute in the NBA, Walton knew the pains on injuries. In his prime, Hakeem seemed capable of covering half the court by himself, assessing threats and snuffing them out with unnerving efficiency. Id like to see him in the NBA, just to see how great hed be if he were pushed to the limit all the time.. You remember him: the irresistible force who tipped the scales after adding all that bulk to withstand the legions of Hack-a-Shaq implementers, the immovable object whom noted giant Yao Ming described in 2003 as like a meat wall, and the mountainous MVP who Juggernauted his way through the league to the tune of 27-and-12 on 57.5 percent shooting for a smooth eight years. When youre that big, you cant hide much. I was born tall, he said. Even if a contemporary Dream never stretched all the way out, though, we already know the best way to unleash him as a menace in a modern offense. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. He is named to the NBA's 50th and 75th-anniversary teams. 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. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. In The Breaks of the Gamean all-time great sports book not about the triumphs of the 1976-77 Trail Blazers team that Walton led to a championship, but rather about how things fell apart, for Walton and for the organizationthe great David Halberstam described a truly great basketball player as not necessarily someone who scored a lot of points; a truly great basketball player is someone of exceptional talent and self-discipline who could make his teammates better. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who. Yet each visit he made, among the first things measured was his wingspan, 7-6. Its like someone died in the family.. Take a look back at the late 1970s Blazers and the impact Bill Walton had on them. The other end would be even more interesting. NBA legend Bill Walton co-authored a byline explaining why one plot of land outside San Diego could be a way to help end the homeless crisis in the city. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. Before he got to the NBA, McGee wasn't even aware of his wingspan. Thats kind of a rule of thumb. As the NBA celebrates it's 75th Anniversary Season, get to know dozens of star players who helped make the NBA what it is today. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Determined to get back into uniform, Walton ignored the skepticism of doctors who said he would never play again. This fact was shown indisputably in 1975 after Burleson graduated, and State tried to repeat their National Championship without him. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. We got a brief glimpse at something like that about a decade agolest we forget, Shaq averaged 18-and-8 alongside Steve Nash for the Slightly Longer Than Seven Seconds Suns in 2008-09but by then, he was 36 and heavier, with more than 45,000 regular and postseason minutes on his body. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. Everything else is said for me or explained to me, right? Seems like our man Bill wouldve made for an interesting podcast guest! Then, in February, after a 113-92 trouncing of Philadelphia, Walton was forced to the sideline with an injured left foot. I also think Steve Kerr wouldve done horrible, unspeakable things to get someone like Vlade operating in that Andrew Bogut/Anderson Varejao/David West playmaking pivot role as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson run all those split actions, flinging passes all over the place: I dont know. 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 defence. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. How come that shot isnt blocked? he recalled. Walton emerged as the MVP of the Finals, overshadowing the electrifying Dr. He led the league in both rebounding and blocked shots, averaging 14.4 and 3.25, respectively. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax 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. His arms are long and he can block shots. Something went wrong. Inspired by rule changes that allowed for zone defenses, easier double-teams, and more effective swarms of players holding the ball in the post, the game has moved away from just dumping the ball down to your big man on the block and letting him cook. The lower body injuries turned catastrophic late in the 1977-78 season, when Walton, already dealing with right foot pain, suffered a sprained left ankle that sidelined him for weeks. Money doesnt mean anything to me. A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute. Yet each visit he made, among the first things measured was his wingspan, 7-6. 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. 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. A steady vet who knows his role on defense, whos good in the locker room, and whose heart wont start racing in the postseason would make an awful lot of money sticking around these days. Ive always been tall. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Divac was pretty spry for a giant, ably running the floor to create for others or to finish plays as the trailer, and he used his length and instincts to be a disruptive defender, averaging about 3.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) per 36 minutes during his Lakers tenure. As Lakers teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Jerry West put it in his autobiography, West by West: Wilt was very self-conscious about his size and strength and he was reluctant to be viewed as a villain. At 7-foot-1 with a reported 7-foot-8 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach, having starred at both 250 pounds as a lithe rookie and a muscular 300-plus pounds during his latter years with the. Yet each visit he made, among the first things measured was his wingspan, 7-6. Career (1,045 games, 1959-73): 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists per game, 54.0% FG, 51.1% FT. No player from the past feels harder to wrap your mind around than Chamberlain. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. He could pass and run the floor, dribble. Give a young Wilt a steady diet of reps as a creator in the half court and more space to work with, and who knows what alternate pathways to dominance might open? Whats legacy, anyway? I think hed do just fine now, too. 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. Weve gone position by position over the past few weeks, aiming to pass some of our seemingly endless downtime by remembering some kick-ass players in a fun thought experiment. 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