The Boston Celtics lost the 1985 NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers and entered the following season looking for the right role player to complement their already loaded roster.
Bill Walton turned out to be that missing piece.
Walton died on May 28 after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 71 years old. Walton was a two-time NCAA champion at UCLA and led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA championship in 1977.
The Celtics fittingly clinched a berth in the 2024 NBA Finals with a 105-102 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Monday. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle was a teammate of Walton's on that 1985-86 Celtics team and was one of several members who paid tribute Monday.
"I wanted to mention, with the passing of Bill Walton today, how much he meant to me and so many people I'm close to," Carlisle said via Yahoo Sports. "Some of the memories are beyond priceless."
What teams did Bill Walton play for?
Walton spent four seasons with Portland from 1974-79 and with the San Diego and Los Angeles Clippers from 1979-85. Walton played in just 169 games in seven seasons from 1978-84, and he missed three full seasons because of foot injuries.
Yet Boston was looking to take that chance.
The Celtics were already loaded with a starting lineup that included four future Pro Basketball Hall of Famers in Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Danny Ainge – who was later the Celtics general manager – was the fifth starter.
Boston traded Cedric Maxwell to the Los Angeles Clippers for Walton on Sept. 6 – a move that was considered risky at the time. Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP for the Celtics in 1981.
Yet Walton turned out to be the right player at the right time for Boston. He developed a chemistry with the team – and even took several members to a Grateful Dead concert.
"I knew we had a hell of a chance to win a championship, but he brought together a kind of camaraderie between everybody that was really fun," McHale said on "Banner Year: 1986."
Walton and Bird – both two of the most-renowned passers at their positions – also developed an on-court chemistry in the half-court game.
Larry Bird to Bill Walton to Kevin McHale. Art.
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) November 5, 2023
pic.twitter.com/cveIQgFzvF
"It was almost like they were playing a private game of their own," Bob Ryan said on "Celtics All-Access." "They ran the give-and-go better than it has been run in this league — ever."
Bird issued a statement Monday after Walton's death.
Larry Bird has issued a statement about the passing of his teammate on the 1986 champion Celtics, and longtime friend, Bill Walton: pic.twitter.com/xF2T7zs9Cj
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 27, 2024
"I'm very sorry about my good friend, Bill Walton. I love him as a friend and teammate. It was a thrill for me to play with my childhood idol and together we earned an NBA championship in 1986. He is one of the greatest ever to play the game. I am sure that all of my teammates are as grateful as I am that we were able to know Bill, he was such a joy to know and he will be sorely missed. My family and I extend our sincere condolence to the Walton family."
How good were the 1985-86 Boston Celtics?
Boston went 67-15 in the regular season, and that included a 40-1 record at legendary Boston Garden. Portland beat the Celtics 121-103 on Dec. 6, 1985, for that only home loss.
Bird (25.8 ppg., 9.8 rpg.), McHale (21.3 ppg., 8.1 rpg.) and Parish (16.1 ppg., 9.5 rpg.) were already a dominant front line. Walton (7.6 ppg., 6.8 rpg.) added yet another inside presence that made the Celtics that much better.
Walton, at age 33, played in 80 games – a single-season career high – and earned NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors that season. He was a valuable piece in the playoff run, too.
That included a 3-0 sweep of Chicago in the first round despite a 63-point performance from Michael Jordan in Game 2. The Celtics beat the Hawks in five games and Bucks in a sweep before taking on the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. Again, Walton was an extra center against a front-line that featured Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Walton averaged 8.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in the NBA 1986 NBA Finals.
Boston won the series in six games.
How many championships did Bill Walton win?
The 1985-86 season was a magical year with Boston, but it was a one-year wonder of sorts. Walton played in just 10 regular season games the following season due to injuries, then averaged 2.4 points in 12 playoff games. He missed the 1987-88 season, then retired and went on to a second career as an accomplished basketball analyst for both the NBA and college basketball.
MORE: Broadcast partners shares hilarious Bill Walton texts
Walton finished his career with two NBA championships. He was the Finals MVP with Portland in 1977 and a complementary piece with the Celtics in 1986. While Walton talked at length about both championships – it is fair to see both had a special place given the trajectory of his career.
"The fact that the Celtics were willing to take a chance or willing to allow me to come and play on their team, a team that was already a championship team, was a huge risk for the Celtics, but I'm glad they took it and it completely changed my life," Walton said in "Banner Year: 1986."
