Bill Walton vs Kareem Abdul Jabbar Duel 1977 WCF Game 1

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[@matthewmehegan3475]

People have forgotten just how great Walton was because his career was so destroyed by those lousy feet. I remember watching Portland in the playoffs and I have never seen so many layups from players cutting off Walton at the top of the key. His passing was brilliant.

[@brianarbenz7206]

Indeed. Those back door cuts, and Walton's not being concerned with personal points scored, made the Blazers great.

[@williestyle35]

It wasn't just Walton's feet that betrayed him, his back became a mess too. For a couple of years he could not even get up and move, till just a couple of years ago. He finally found a doctor that treated his ailments and now is back broadcasting games and making Grateful Dead comments, lol

[@user-iv9er3nr6z]

Bill Walton was like a white bill Russell except alot better on offense

[@frankfurter63]

He still won 2 championships . He probably could have gotten many more if he wasn't injured so much.

[@user-iv9er3nr6z]

Legendary bill Walton

[@maliuatu]

Bill Walton was (more or less) healthy for basically only two NBA seasons. For both those two seasons he got to the playoffs. In one he was the Finals MVP and won the title. In the other one he got the 6th Man of the Year award and won the title.

[@diegochavez6203]

Dude could been in the top 5-10 ever if healthy

[@krisharkleroad8]

After finals win he won regular season MVP next year, but only played 58 games I believe.

[@exclusivefootage6704]

Moses Malone was way better….

[@dp233332]

@@exclusivefootage6704 Moses wasnt better...Moses was healthier and if battling head2head undeniably stronger...However, Moses wasnt a great passer at all let alone the best passer the center position has ever seen...Walton has that distinction...Malone was dominant on the boards, was not a slouch on either end of the court by any means, but he did not have the impact Walton had when healthy and in his prime...That group around Walton in 77 wasnt a superbly talented or star studded supporting cast Walton made ALL of them MUCH BETTER players his unselfish style had the same effect Bird and Magic's had on their teammates if not an even far greater effect because of how much easier he made their jobs on defense become as well as their jobs on offense...The footage available of him demonstrates an absolute mastery at working within that 5th passing lane...He was an outstanding rebounder and shotblocker as well, and hes a picture perfect fundamentally sound machine when it comes to converting def rebounds into quick outlet passes2trigger fast breaks...If Walton had stayed as healthy and played as long as Malone or Kareem did hed have won at least 2-3 more league MVP awards and maybe 2-3 more NBA championships. If you wanna insist that Kareem was better thats a reasonable statement, but M.Malone wasnt...The team Moses had around him while finally winning a championship was LOADED with talent...1983 76ers had 3HOFers as well as Andrew Toney and Bobby Jones...Walton had a supporting cast in 1977 of M.Lucas and Bob Gross. Hed be in the debate for best big man of alltime if he hadnt been plagued by injuries...

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

@@diegochavez6203 ​ not too 10 but Walton could have been top 20. His two healthy years, taking the best of his stats he was roughly 20pts 14reb 5ast 3blk per 75. Not going to be better than Kareem wilt shaq and Hakeem but could have been 5th best center.

[@kenarthur6253]

Had Walton been able to stay healthy, this battle would been amazing to watch for at least another decade.

[@JohnNiemsMusic]

I am thinking more and more when I see these old games that the 3 point shot ruined basketball. These games just flow better and you see teams playing as a team!

[@user-gj8iq7bu1u]

That's true.

[@jamesvalentino4356]

This looks like basketball. Teamwork, cutting, passing, strategy. Inside, then out. Totally different from the standing around the parameter waiting for one player to make the game. Right 3 point shot has ruined the game. And I used to be for it. Now I realize it should be banned.

[@user-gj8iq7bu1u]

@@jamesvalentino4356 And I think so! As Greg Popovich said - shooting for 3 point is avoiding to play a game. Every team takes 30 3 point shots per game at least! It's so boring for watching.

[@sbnpouipnbt2614]

you’re only complaining because teams nowadays would run these teams out of the gym

[@JohnNiemsMusic]

@@sbnpouipnbt2614 Yes I agree that the athletes are bigger and stronger but they cheat with steroids but again the game (to me anyway) was meant to be played as a team.

[@nohyphenamerican8959]

The Footwork by both of them is amazing. I had never got to watch a healthy Bill Walton. I FINALLY know who Tim Duncan modeled his game after. Thanks.

[@curtisthompson8488]

I just thought the same thing! Kareem has got that really quick drop step! This is basketball worth watching. The rules enforced. No drive palm, travel, kick out and shoot a three.

[@stevetseitz]

Great observation. I see a lot of Duncan’s game now that you say that.

[@brianarbenz7206]

Portland faced the Made-For-TV superstars of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Artis Gilmore, Julius Irving, George McGinnis and they demolished each with unglamorous team play at its best. CBS and Sports Illustrated anguished over a star-less motion offense in a smaller TV market winning it all. The '77 Trailblazers made a fan of team play out of me for life!

[@williamfortune1750]

All without the home court advantage, I believe

[@brianarbenz7206]

@@williamfortune1750 Well, these were playoffs. So it was two away, then two at home etc.

[@michaelchialastri1088]

Wonderful team play.

[@henrybrowne7248]

And today, 2023, we have . . Nikola Jokic!

[@Jojoburns26]

And what's crazy about that is this team was BY FAR the youngest team to ever win an NBA title. When they hoisted the trophy their starting lineup was 25, 24, 23, 23, and 21! That's insane! And this was way before the wave of HS players entering the NBA and players leaving college early.

[@BAYAREA-kd1ig]

Damm Bill 1:31 you got Kareem stumped. Watching this I can't help but think of the scene from the movie Airplane when Kareem tells the kid "The hell I don't! LISTEN, KID! I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night! Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!"

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

I'm shocked he didn't mention Nate instead of Bob.

[@steveharris434]

I'm huge Walton fan and I cant say enough great things about Kareem too. I remember many great games at Portlands Memorial Coliseum with 12,666 fans every game for years.

[@glencoe428]

BEAT LA BEAT LA that's where it started

[@timwmoore2133]

The whole team was amazing. Lucas and Walton provided the muscle and front court skills. Hollands, Davis and Gross the speed needed in the backcourt. Looking back, I wish Ramsey would have cut down on Walton’s playing time in many of the blowouts won by the Blazers.

[@robertj5881]

@@timwmoore2133 imagine if there were three point shooting and a system that took advantage of it. Walton would have had 20 assists per game along with 20 points and rebounds. Fewer blocks, though.

[@groovyballers]

Both were amazing players...glad they both got rings

[@ukyo2010]

I remember watching Walton in 1977 and being annoyed because I favored the opposing team. He was really good that year. He really stood out.

[@levalpat]

Walton was the complete package...… too bad for his injuries.....

[@MeIn321]

And Jabbar wasn't? All time leading scorer, top 3 in rebounds and blocks.

[@levalpat]

@@MeIn321 both were complete packages..... I found walton, when uninjured, to be a touch more athletic but also with a slightly better sense and awareness of the full court. If constructions a dream team of healthy players in their prime, I would pick Kareem and wilt as center and would move walton to forward, magic in backcourt... etc

[@spinedoc18]

Walton best passing center ever.

[@greatriffishere]

@@MeIn321 Walton was better !!

[@teofemo7000]

@@greatriffishere Kareem dominated Walton statistically in this series. He had 40 or better several times. Jabbar scored 50 on Walton one.

[@flame-sky7148]

Wow, what footage!!! They used to say the Finals were on a tape delay, didn't know it was going to take 43 years.

[@wolfwilliams]

Actual basketball. No carries. No traveling. No ludicrous "gather step." Ten guys covering the court, instead of eight guys pinned to one side while a "superstar" plays one-on-one with a defender who will get called for a foul just for taking a deep breath.

[@russelturner5771]

The way the game is meant to be played not whatever it is the NBA players are doing today.

[@rickc661]

so true.

[@sbnpouipnbt2614]

jesus stop complaining 😭😭 you’re just stuck in the past unable to comprehend athletic evolution

[@lloydkline6946]

❤1970s nba basketball 🏀

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Gather STEPS. The gather rule often allows *2* extra steps - over and above the TRAVEL rules change to 2 steps instead of 1. And players STILL travel noticeably often (but rarely get called for it).

[@radar0412]

Unfortunately I was a Walton fan in 77, and I didn't realize until I revisited this upload, what a Titanic Matchup I was Witnessing between Arguably the Two Best College Centers of ALL TIME!

[@donshults7772]

Arguably? Maybe put Wilt and Russell in the discussion, but nobody else is close

[@pertburton5586]

6 NCAA championships between the two from the same college when Lew A. left Bill step in and kept the ball rolling.

[@donshults7772]

@@pertburton5586 UCLA won without either Kareem or Walton 1n 1969-70 and again in 1970-71. Kareem had graduated and Walton was just a freshman, who were ineligible for varsity at the time, in 1970-71. The Bruins were led by Sidney Wickes, Henry Bibby and Curtis Rowe.

[@pertburton5586]

@@donshults7772 I quite sure Kareem was on that 1969 team because he was the MVP they beat Purdue in the championship game by 20.

[@donshults7772]

@@pertburton5586 kareem graduated in 1969. Walton entered UCLA as a freshman in the fall of 1970. Thus, the 1969-70 season and 1970-71 seasons, the Bruins were without either man.

[@SeanRankin2]

This series was my introduction to the world of the NBA. Been watching ever since then.

[@gl6996]

Me too!!! I was 4 yrs old and my uncles answered all my questions and explained basketball to me. I became a Kareem fan ever since.

[@briansam2524]

This was REAL basketball!!!

[@CapAnson12345]

It's insane how good Walton was when healthy. Kareem just had no help on this team and they went out 4 games to none.

[@albertross2456]

Walton could've been the GOAT or number 2 center

[@diegochavez6203]

Walton didn't either

[@anonymoususer2080]

@@diegochavez6203 walton had plenty of help

[@JohnnyRodgers3]

@@albertross2456 nah...wilt bill n kareem wouldve still been ahead

[@BooBooDaFoo330]

@@albertross2456 naw but he could’ve been top ten. Still an all time great regardless

[@jsanchez8540]

Thank you for posting this. What great memories for me. I was at that game. My father took my brother and I to the game. I was 9 years old at the time.

[@spinedoc18]

When centers were centers!

[@halfwaydecent6842]

Bob Gross for Portland was an excellent complimentary player. My favorite NBA teams of all time: 1) '86 Celtics 2) '77 Trail Blazers 3) '83 Sixers

[@steverenom.299]

All very unselfish teams. Lebron would ruin the chemistry on each of those teams and, of course, none of those teams would have put up with his total lack of effort on defense.

[@aarondigby5054]

​@@steverenom.299how about the '70 and '73 Knicks.

[@steverenom.299]

@@aarondigby5054 Yes, very true about those Knick teams also. They would NEVER have put up with Lebron.

[@BasketballJones48021]

Amazing upload, thanks! Walton had one of the GOAT peaks for a center, just incredible... and what’s crazy is that he still had years and ways to go; shame for injuries. Kareem was probably at his overall best around 1977, too bad his teammates weren’t all that, and even got worse with injuries all around the team. In terms of peaks/primes for centers throughout basketball history, it’s difficult for me to say who’s the best (you’ve got a few who were just unreal), but overall - considering everything - Kareem is the GOAT center.

[@aarondigby5054]

The Russell/Chamberlain rivalry is the GOAT, imho.

[@shawncrawford3146]

This is beautiful to watch. As a kid growing up in the 80's, both of these men were heroic, but aged and nowhere near this brilliant. Thanks for posting.

[@pretorious700]

Walton was the best passing center ever.

[@70sfan]

Certainly among best ever.

[@pretorious700]

@@70sfan Portland had a lot of guys who were great at cutting to the basket on the back door. That helped, for sure.

[@70sfan]

@@pretorious700 True, they built very efficient offense around Walton's ability to find cutters.

[@kennyhuskisson2684]

@Kildare Aleksander Everyone makes mistakes, nobody on this planet is perfect!👍✌

[@impassable]

You're probably right...Webber although not a center was his equal

[@garypruitt4289]

My god this is so much better than today's so called product.

[@QED_]

@Gary Pruitt: My solution for how to get back to that kind of balanced basketball: a 3-point circle 5 feet around the basket . . .

[@stevewatkins7144]

Yes he has amazing court awareness and knew who was open. \There are so many missed opportunities when guys break open for easu shots and there is a small window of opportunity toe get the ball to him. The opportunity often closes fast and then the guy with the ball starts going one on one. Walton was great at seeing these opportunities and capitalizing on them. Just simple passes to teammates at the right time when they are open.

[@lavarriley9345]

No it's not

[@garypruitt4289]

LaVar Riley. Why do you say that? Unselfish ball. Constant motion great individual and team defense. Sorry guess I'm wrong

[@stevewatkins7144]

@@QED_ Interesting idea but I thing you have to move it out a little farther if you want to discount layups and dunks. Say 8 feet. Here is another radical idea that will greatly improve the game: Eliminate the game clock and play to a score. That will eliminate all the fouling and timeouts at the end of games. The way it is now, it takes half an hour to play the last minute of the game. I know people will hate this idea because they have been so conditioned to playing this way, they have accepted it and don't want to change. But do you prefer to watch the greatest athletes in the world playing tough, clean defense or do you want to watch them continually parade to the foul line or to the bench for a timeout where you have to wait and wait and wait for action to resume? The reason teams foul is to extend the length of the game before time runs out - effectively increase the number of possessions they get to catch up. They call timeout many times just to advance the ball or bail themselves out of a bad situation. In my opinion, when you put your opponent in a bad situation, you should be rewarded for it. Your opponent should not be allowed to get help by the ref. Teams should never be rewarded for intentionally committing a foul. That goes against the spirit of competition - but it happens all the time in basketball. If they played to a score there would be no incentive to foul and less incentive to call timeout (I am in favor of eliminating all timeouts also). If you foul when you are behind and the game is close, you will put the opponent at the line, which will put your opponent closer to winning and shorten the game, not lengthen it. Now you will get to see intense defense at the end of the game which is what I personally prefer to watch. No more bailouts. After eliminating the game clock, there will be no incentive to stall either, which is the whole purpose of the 24 second clock. So you can eliminate that also. It will not be necessary because the longer you hold the ball before putting up a shot, the more likely it is your team will turn the ball over. So there is no incentive to pass up good shots and hold the ball to run out the clock, which will not exist. So now refs can focus on pure basketball rather than all the nonsense surrounding clocks. With less things to focus on, refs can call the game better. Focus a little better on traveling violations to start with. There is tremendous room for improvement of the game of basketball.

[@MR-wc9lh]

In this series Kareem Jabbar outplayed Bill Walton at the Center position. Point Scoring: Jabbar 30.3 per game, Walton 19.3 per game. True Shooting %: Jabbar: 66.0%, Walton: 50.7%, Rebounds per game: Jabbar: 16.0, Walton: 14.8, Blocked Shots per game: Jabbar 3.8, Walton: 2.3, Assists per game: Jabbar: 3.8, Walton: 5.8. Jabbar dominated Walton in this series, but the other players on the Blazers team outplayed the other players on the Lakers team, allowing the Blazers to win the series. Jabbar and Walton were the two best passing Centers in the NBA. In the 76 - 77 regular season their assists per game: Jabbar: 3.9, Walton: 3.8. They were both great passers. The key to this series was that Lakers Power Forward Kermit Washington was injured and didn't play. He averaged 9.3 rebounds per game in the regular season. The Lakers were not going to win this series without him. (True Shooting % is Field Goal shooting and Free Throw shooting combined).

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Wilt had 7.8 assists per game during his 76'ers championship year (good for #3 in the league). The following year he DELIBERATELY went after the assist title and won it - at 8.6 assists/game. I think he could pass the ball when he wanted to... Oh yeah, Wilts CAREER APG was 4.4 - though to be fair he did benefit from a LITTLE higher pace.

[@ddenuci]

Blazers swept Lakers in this series. Walton ave 19.3ppg, 14.8rpg, 5.8apg and 2.3bpg while shooting 50% from the field and 55.6% from the line. Jabbar: 30.3ppg, 16.0rpg, 3.8apg, and 3.8bpg while shooting 60% from the field and 77.5% from the line. Walton shot only 9 free throw in the series.

[@DrJohnnyJ]

The Lakers were the better team all year but lost their point guard to an injury and there was nobody to bring the ball upcourt.

[@ddenuci]

@@DrJohnnyJ You're talking about the other UCLA product, Lucius Allen.

[@alanfoster6589]

Walton got his shot off so fast there was no time to foul him.

[@ddenuci]

@@alanfoster6589 In this 1976-77 season, Walton averaged the most free throw attempts for his career. And that number was only 5.0 free throw attempts/game, and he made 3.5 of those. So in 4 games, you would have expected Bill to take 20 free throws, but he took just about half of that.

[@PInk77W1]

Seemed like Walton was getting 5 assist per ball handle

[@grandmastertalos1768]

GAME 1! I didn't even know the footage existed! Thanks for the upload!

[@70sfan]

Neither do I until I got it.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

I had forgotten how much Kareem used the left hand earlier in his career. Made him so versatile and unpredictable. Later he became only about the baseline skyhook right handed.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Kareem HAD to use both hands more when he was facing Wilt and Nate. Very few later centers were as strong defensively - and Kareem HIMSELF has said that "Nate played me the toughest".

[@hoponpop3330]

Walton’s passing was excellent for a big

[@pbasswil]

B.B. was such a different experience in those days! I'm not one of those who sneer at today's game, but the play in these old clips was very competitive and highly entertaining.

[@mhhmmhhm3301]

Walton may be one of the best passing centers ive seen besides Wilt. All of his moves are very smooth tbh

[@MrRetroswag]

Nobody has ever seen Wilt lol His footage is rarer than Flank Steak

[@swingtrade2]

He took a cheap shot to his back in college during a game. The injury affected him for life cut his career. Too bad because what a player.

[@70sfan]

@@MrRetroswag That's overstatement. We have some good footage of Wilt. I even made some videos about him on my channel.

[@Amick44]

@Kildare Aleksander he couldn't move like Kareem or Bill either. At least not when he was in the NBA.

[@Amick44]

@Kildare Aleksander I have read and heard that. Unfortunately here in North America that's all we saw him was his time in the NBA. I will say I read David Robinson was very impressed with him when Robinson played against him when he was in Europe.

[@9Ballr]

I remember watching this at 1:30 am in the morning on tape delay!

[@gfrrfandoe8044]

Bill Waltons body couldn't keep up with his talent.........Such a shame. He really was one of the best when he was briefly healthy.

[@johnnyreed8537]

The Bill Walton of '77 was him at his best. Unfortunately injuries was a major issue throughout his career and he never again duplicated this championship season success...

[@h0gwartz]

He almost did in 78, the Blazers were 50-5 and then he got hurt again and that was the end pretty much until 1986

[@loydkline]

Bill Walton was a white bill Russell

[@poocrayon4588]

The scary thing is he'd already been injured heaps before he even got to the NBA

[@ynotttt]

Bill Walton was amazing. Who else could retire for 3 years due to injuries, [foot] go to law school at Stanford, then come back with the Celtics and be very effective.

[@johnylopez]

Bill Walton was incredibly good, he dominated all facets of game, the best center passer with Sabonis ever, he jumped a lot, but unfortunately he had glass knees

[@kona883]

His ankles were even worse!

[@tonyrex6439]

@Kildare Aleksander to be the best you've got to beat the best..simple he did... he is not

[@tonyrex6439]

@Kildare Aleksander who was his competition, that matters... the nba has proven to be the best basketball of all time especially in those days

[@MeIn321]

@Kildare Aleksander thats funny, try again. Russell was the best, Jabbar 2nd, Chamberlain 3rd, Malone 4th.

[@lloydkline6946]

❤bill walton , had no weakness like willis reed, bill Russell, defender, scoring rebounder, passing

[@Nathan411466]

This game shows why the 3-point shot was added just a few years later. Notice how there are 4 Blazers in the paint when Kareem catches the ball down low. The game needed some spacing. The 3 second rule wasn't even added until 2001! Teams can really crowd the paint back then. And what a shame that Walton was riddled with injuries in his prime. Could have been an All time great.

[@divynenick3108]

MY MAN BIG RED 🖤❤🖤❤ #RIPCITY

[@maxpuppy96]

I asked Earl "Yogi" Strom long time NBA official who was the best he ever saw? He responded Bill Walton, now I see why.

[@groovyballers]

2 of the best...

[@tommyrawlings3046]

What a pleasure to watch basketball without traveling, palming & carrying the ball like they do all the time now! The current NBA is a farce!

[@pihermoso11]

James Hardin could be looking at this video and asking himself 'what kind of game are they playing?' ...

[@mrblue99999]

Harden watching at 1:20 ‘What is the ref doing with his hands? And why?'’

[@patrickdaniels8942]

current NBA fans are asking the same question

[@sbnpouipnbt2614]

james harden would dominate any player on this court. don’t be a prisoner of the past he’s one of the smartest and most dominant players ever

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

@@sbnpouipnbt2614 Hadrin would have to completely change his game to do anything at ALL. He doesn't get to take 4-6 steps before he shoots in THIS era, he has to deal with hand checking slowing him down, he doesn't get to KICK people and have it called a foul on HIM - and his frequent FLOPS would be ignored. Also, NO 3 POINT LINE IN THE NBA in the 1970s. No, he would NOT dominate - but he's smart enough he could probably adopt to be a GOOD player.

[@pputnam100]

@@sbnpouipnbt2614 but it would be interesting to see how Harden would react and adjust to strong rugged players who could use their damn hands on him; with Refs who would never give him the wimpy ass calls he gets...hmmm

[@liteskinnedbobbybrown6256]

Should never be a doubt about the The Big Red Head being in the HOF or a top 50 player.He was fundamentally sound.He & Sabonis are the 2 greatest passing centers that i've been privelaged enough to watch

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

The only reason for doubt is how short Bill's EFFECTIVE career was. Hall though he makes just on his COLLEGE career, didn't even need the pro career.

[@aarondigby5054]

Wilt and Jocic are my choice for best passing big men, Wilt led the league in assists only big man to do that and edges out jocic, Sabonus and big red with his stamina😊

[@yippee-ki-yay9925]

He is really just a borderline HOFer due to his injury plagued career. He is not a top 50 or top 75 NBA player. There are many players that posted better numbers over a much longer career. His HOF entry is really due to his great college career.

[@exclamationpointman3852]

Thanks for upload

[@samuelsanchez4885]

Thx for posting this..I remember watching NBA games on ABC WADE WORLD OF SPORTS every Sunday afternoons ... no hype!! Just basketball 🏀!! But then $$$$$ changed all that...🏀

[@ironcladranchandforge7292]

This is when Walton was healthy, then he broke his ankle after the Trail Blazers won the championship in 1977. He was never the same. I was there for the 1977 Championship game. One of the best moments of my life!! I was so hopeful for the 1978 season but it wasn't to be. I think the Seattle Supersonic won the championship in 1978 if memory serves me right. God I'm old.........

[@Riles3152]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is arguably the greatest center in NBA history. Yet I’ve seen multiple series where he was literally outplayed by another center. One was Bill Walton. The other was Moses Malone.

[@70sfan]

Kareem wasn't outplayed by Walton in this series.

[@Amick44]

​@@70sfan statistically no. But Walton (like Russell) just had the intangibles to make his team function more effectively.

[@70sfan]

@@Amick44 I don't disagree, but you can't ignore the fact that Walton had significantly more talented team overall that year.

[@Amick44]

@@70sfan thanks to Lucas and a lesser degree, Lionel Hollins. That's about it.

[@70sfan]

@@Amick44 Well, even Gross was arguably better than anyone Kareem had on his team (taking into account Washington and Allen injuries).

[@sandyacombs]

Beautiful to watch, back when basketball was a team sport and players would pass, cut set screens. Nothing like today's run and gun game.

[@jaredbrooks7219]

If Walton could have stayed healthy, he would have potentially been the greatest big man to ever do it.

[@aarondigby5054]

Might be highly overrated as a hof.

[@bilalmallick8428]

Walton was a great passer. This game shows how the Blazers were the far superior team. It was basically Kareem vs Blazers.

[@antav9371]

True. jabbar was just as good a passer, but had to carry the offensive load for that team. Waltons best career assist number for his short lived career are 4.6 and 5.0. Jabbar in his prime had 5 seasons of 4.6-5.0 assists per game.

[@susanbloodgood3572]

The ‘77 Playoffs and Finals, remember, Kareem and Dr J we’re Both in their Prime, Walton was one of the most impressive players when not injured

[@bossfan49]

Awesome footage of two talented giants. Seems like no one thought about scoring from outside the paint back then.

[@pputnam100]

Credit to Walton's wonderful all around team game, but no one, absolutely no one could outplay Kareem at his peak. This was the Kareem the Showtime Lakers never got to see

[@Johnkoth]

Nope. Kareems prime lasted longer than pretty much every NBA player. He stayed in good shape and did not have major injuries. His unstoppableness does not depend on being very fast at running. Its his skyhook, up and under, standinf reach, rebounding and passing. If yoy blocked his skyhook he could get it back and skyhook again on you and score. Wilt blocked multiple in a row and Kareem regained control on occasions after a knee surgery. From age 37 to 41 yrs old he was old scoring Hakeem. Rockets had to double him. He was also ourscoring Patrick Ewing and kept him under 19 PPG.

[@stuartperry8141]

Kareem was the league 's MVP Magic's first year three years later. People seem to forget how good Kareem was in the playoffs until he got hurt, he should of been the MVP for the series too.

[@jacklane7489]

Stuart Perry facts. Its funny how no one ever reports that 1980 was Kareem’s season he had a better Finals performance than Magic. But that Game 6 in Philly tho, Magic was a bad bul.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Wilt could outplay Kareem when Kareem was in his prime and Wilt was OLD - for a couple quarters at a time before his knees got to him.

[@pputnam100]

@@bricefleckenstein9666 yea and you forget that that was not only the old Wilt but after Wilt's knee surgeries, The Wilt of 1966 -67 could have really smoked Kareem I suspect; true, no one in the world was gonna ever really shutdown young prime Kareem but Wilt would have really dominated him physically on the boards ad defensively. Now I gotta say Brice, I watched those games between those two and I was always really hopimg and rooting for old Wilt, but if you look up the stats on their matchups, Wilt wasn't outplaying Kareem very much...

[@timjensen6968]

I believe Bill Walton is one of the greatest players in the history of basketball. The guy could do it all. He was a very good scorer but his defense, rebounding & passing (especially for a center) were top notch. The only thing that could stop him was the 82-game + playoffs NBA season. If the season was like college back then 30 games plus 3 playoff games, it would be a completely different story.

[@michaelh1889]

Awesome post !! Thanks !! 😂

[@impassable]

I'd put a healthy in his prime Bill Walton as a top ten all time player, maybe even top five...Problem is he didn't get too many years of that

[@tonyrex6439]

how great would walton have been, if not for the injuries, wow!

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

IMO had Walton had a healthy NBA career, he'd be the GOAT and it wouldn't be a conversation. He NEVER HAD a fully healthy season - 1986 was the closest but he was already worn down by that point - and STILL claimed "6'th Man of the Year". As I recall he only played 62 or so games in the regular season the year he led Portland to their ONLY title.

[@MackBolan1]

Both centers in top 10 centers of all time.

[@groovyballers]

What a match!

[@henrybrowne7248]

I remember the 'Mountain Man.' He was the best player in the league, as someone below said, for 2 precious seasons, and then . . . disaster. Miraculously, orthopedic science brought him back years later and he was still an excellent addition to Boston--maybe the best front line in history. Man was Walton pissed at the Trailblazers and their medical staff after his departure . .

[@chrismenser6600]

Walton top 3 center all time if he doesn’t get hurt. Prob top 10 player

[@wmden1]

Kareem was, obviously, difficult to stop from scoring. Walton was no slouch at it either, but he could pass as well as Larry Bird, was a great rebounder and rim protector/shot blocker.

[@robmckrobmck5567]

When Walton played during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons, the Blazers were 108-37 including a stretch of 70-15, one title, one 1st tm all NBA, one MVP, one finals MVP, one 2nd tm all NBA, led NBA in rebs, blks once each

[@donaldleider7382]

I remember the Sports Illustrated cover picture showing Kareem and Walton battling. The caption stated, The Franchise vs The Mountain Man! Bill Walton dominated in that series!

[@davidbelanger9952]

For those of you who are running what ifs scenarios for Bill Walton just think about Sabonis. Walton actually had a shot to play in the NBA in his prime

[@maxwelldewinter]

KAJ arguably the greatest ever!

[@ji5340]

Not in this game

[@maxwelldewinter]

@@ji5340 Bill was MVP of the series! KAJ still played amazing in game 1 30 points 10 rebounds

[@antav9371]

@@maxwelldewinter Kareem out played Walton the whole series...led in all categories except assists...by about 2.

[@bogiekmh44]

I love to see more of Kareem vs Walt.

[@surfrunnerd8457]

Walton was an amazing player. Could have been one of the all time greats if not for the knee issues. Kareem was always lazy on the boards.

[@70sfan]

Kareem was outstanding rebounder in his prime.

[@goteamdefense]

SURFRUNNER D here is Kareem’s response. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGOkYmxqrrmKpbM

[@surfrunnerd8457]

@@70sfan hmmm. Ok. Maybe it simply didn't reflect statistically.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

FOOT issues, not knee issues. Bill kept breaking one or the other of his FEET.

[@johnwade7760]

Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!

[@robertgollnick5183]

l'm not saying the quality is great by any means, but this footage is better than some early 2000's highlights I've seen on here.

[@walterlinares5960]

And Shaq has the nerve on saying that Walton should not be in the HOF.

[@70sfan]

Shaq is a fool outside the ring

[@jacklane7489]

70sFan facts he could never be a coach ever

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Based JUST on Walton's NBA career, he probably should not be in the Hall. **** BUT **** It's the BASKETBALL Hall of Fame, and Bill had a MUCH BETTER college career than most players EVER had - which was probably enough to put him in the Hall BY ITSELF.

[@timothykring4772]

Shaq might be a little too young to know how good Bill Walton actually was. Shaq would have had his hands full against a healthy Bill Walton.

[@jollyjoe9281]

@6:15 Jack sitting by the towels next to Angelica Huston and Lou Adler with the hat...

[@joshuasussman4020]

Walton basically the only player who could somewhat contain Kareem.

[@70sfan]

Actually, Walton struggled guarding Kareem.

[@joshuasussman4020]

Of course he did, as did everyone. But in terms of both points and rebounds, Kareem didn’t do quite as well against Walton as he did against other centers of his prime.

[@70sfan]

@@joshuasussman4020 Thurmond did better job than Walton on Kareem. Of course Walton was a great defender though, no doubt about it.

[@Amick44]

Lanier, Cowens, a young Bob McAdoo all gave Kareem a headache as well. They could hit regularly from 12-18 feet and Kareem did not like to leave the paint. Nor did Wilt for that matter.

[@antav9371]

@@joshuasussman4020 "For the series Walton averaged 19.3 ppg, 14.8 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1 steal, and 2.3 blocks on 50% from the floor and 56% from the line. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put up 30.3 ppg, 16 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 steals, and 3.8 blocks on 61% from the field and 78% from the line, leading in every statistical measure except assists.".......Maybe Walton did better, if so, Kareem must have been annihilating those other guys!

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

No three-point line. We used to draw three-point lines in the pavement with chalk.

[@pebutts]

This was a great series and a classic battle between two of the all time greats at the center position. Unfortunately the narrative ended up being that Walton outplayed Jabbar when in reality it was a very close battle. Unfortunately Kareem really had to carry the Lakers offensively as nobody else had any sustained production. Earl Tatum had a great offensive game in game one but didn't do much of anything the rest of the series. By contrast, Walton didn't have to do everything himself because Lionel Hollins, Johnny Davis, and Mo Lucas were extremely productive. Kareem was bitter about how much press Walton got, attributing it to disrespect of his game, bigotry against his Muslim faith, and racism. While he was probably right to some degree, Kareem was also famous for treating members of the sports media very badly so it's hard to blame them for not being a little bit biased in their reporting. For the series Walton averaged 19.3 ppg, 14.8 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1 steal, and 2.3 blocks on 50% from the floor and 56% from the line. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put up 30.3 ppg, 16 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 steals, and 3.8 blocks on 61% from the field and 78% from the line, leading in every statistical measure except assists. It's not hard to see why Kareem thought he should have gotten more credit, though he always was very complimentary of Walton's game. Similarly, you can see why Bill always said Kareem was the greatest player he ever played against.

[@madcapper6]

I think people are too trigger-happy when it comes to accusations of racism and bigotry. The disparity in media attention might've had something to do with the fact that the Blazers were winning the series. The winners get all the love and it's always been that way. I think Kareem nailed it later on in his career and more accurately touched on the disproportionate lack of media buzz surrounding him throughout his career. He was a low key guy for starters who lacked flamboyance. And his style of play just wasn't that exciting to a lot of people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking him for those things and to me, players like Kareem are refreshing in the world of self-promoting egomaniacs and I've always tended to root for guys like him. Kareem was a fabulous player and a strong GOAT candidate. He was clearly the best player on the planet throughout the '70s and outplayed pretty much everybody, including arguably Walton in '77. But he had that same thing going on that Tim Duncan had. And to show that his accusations of racism and bigotry being the cause of it is a bit misguided, it was very similar for John Stockton too. It didn't take long for Kareem to take a back seat to Magic in the hearts and minds of Laker fans because Magic had "sizzle" for lack of a better term whereas Kareem didn't.

[@pebutts]

@@madcapper6 You may be right, but the 70s were a different time than today. People forget how controversial Kareem used to be. In 1973, a home owned by Kareem was the scene of a grisly murder and he was still dealing with the fallout from that a few years later when he and Walton met in the finals. He belonged to a religion that was viewed as alien by many Americans and possibly even dangerous. It didn't help his reputation that he was often truculent, if not outright hostile, to the press, that he didn't treat fans well who approached him, or that he flashed a foul temper on the court from time to time. You're right that Walton got lots of love and much of that was because the Blazers were winning, but if Kareem had been more willing to engage the public, as he began to do during his later years and has continued to do in his retirement, he might have been portrayed in a better light. When Airplane! was released in 1980, it showed a different side of Kareem and then he seemed to rediscover his enjoyment of the game in the 80s as the cornerstone of the Showtime teams. It's too bad that in the 70s he seemed to be very reluctant to appear as anything other than a jerk. Tim Duncan was a quiet leader for the Spurs, but he was always likeable. Kareem just wasn't in the 70s. I have no doubt that there was a component of religious and probably some racial bigotry as far as people's attitude toward him, but more of it was his own fault in alienating people who otherwise might have defended him. In the end, he got criticism he probably didn't deserve, but it didn't have to be that way. He seemed to not realize that his own persona turned people against him, instead attributing their reactions as motivated by bad faith when really they were just reacting to how he presented himself.

[@madcapper6]

@@pebutts Fair enough. You make some excellent points. I didn't like him back in those days because I was a Sonic fan lol. As far as that goes, I hated Magic even more. He was the great equalizer against my beloved Sonics and flipped the edge in the Lakers' favor in '79-80. I honestly despised the dude. He had a big part in ending the Sonics' reign at the top and to me he was just having far too much fun doing it. Looking back on it though that all sprung from being a passionate fan and saw Magic as a mortal enemy. I got a chance to meet him around '85 when I was in high school when he teamed up with Jack Sikma at Osborn & Uland in Seattle to honor the Garfield High School basketball team after winning the state championship. One of the nicest guys I've ever met. So my attitude changed a long time ago. I did let him have it for crushing my soul in the '80 WCF though lol.

[@mongoslade277]

@@madcapper6 I was a SuperSonics fan as well. I thought Magic was the difference. If you remember all those games were close and the Sonics won game 1 in LA. Guess close doesn't count

[@madcapper6]

@@mongoslade277 Yeah the Sonics probably spent the majority of that series ahead on the scoreboard, especially in Games 4 and 5. They just didn't have the staying power to hang with the Lakers at the end of those games. Probably the biggest difference in the series to me was the Kareem/Jack matchup, which Kareem won pretty decisively. Sikma looked a bit reticent against Kareem and it probably stemmed from his confidence taking a hit in the previous series against the Bucks, in which he also struggled. The other thing that hurt them was the rebounding battle. The Sonics should have won the rebounding battle pretty easily as they were as I'm sure you know one of the strongest rebounding teams in the league while it was considered the part of the game where the Lakers were at their weakest. Yet the Lakers won the rebounding battle too.

[@user-gx2yy1df6f]

walton was a great passer for a big man.

[@aarondigby5054]

Walton had the Lakers quiet as a church mouse and Mo Lucas was highly underrated could play tremendous ball on both ends of the court

[@a1aprospects470]

The passing, the offensive sets, off the ball movement, defense, no tickle fouls, referees actually calling traveling. Real basketball.

[@tonyrex6439]

not seeing much of walton... i was too young be he looks like half tim duncan half hakeem🤷‍♂️

[@michaelkeesling9824]

I remember seeing Walton vs Jabbar in a pre-season game in Hawaii-had to have been 1977 or so. Walton was eating Jabbar's lunch so after about six minutes in the first quarter, Jabbar threw a punch at Walton, Walton retaliated and they were both ejected. Jabbar obviously had the greater career, but as several viewers have pointed out the two years that Walton was healthy (one with Portland and one with Boston) is basketball IQ and skills were off the charts.

[@vigneshsubramanian2511]

Kareem took a whole ass Lakers and carried them on his back to the wcf in his second year as a Laker. That is impressive.

[@aarondigby5054]

Kareem had no help in LA until Wilkes, Magic and McAdoo arrived.

[@crash8729]

The 2 greatest centers ever, 2 GOATs!

[@michaeldooley3396]

Barring injury, Walton would have been the best!

[@pariswatkins4841]

Wow! Before Magic

[@rprevolv]

Damn, Walton was the real deal. Would have dominated for years if healthy.

[@LIBlurr]

Classic B Ball. Those teams would embarass most of the teams today that barely have any offensive game plan or strategies. Walton was a much more fundamentally complete player, too bad he broke down

[@MrPiraka123]

Nice video and great fake by Walton around the minute mark!

[@RD22]

Walton was a beautiful passer.

[@jrfan8552]

Is the Rick Barry on the mic?!

[@Roost59]

Shaq thinks Walton ain't in his league.

[@tommyrawlings3046]

When absolutely healthy I would say Walton was the best all around center ever! He was like a Bill Russell with much better offense!

[@antav9371]

Healthy Walton was great but not better than Jabbar....Jabbars prime assist numbers are even better than Waltons. (Walton best assists per game , 2 years of 4.6 and 5.0, Jabbar has 5 seasons of 4.6-5.0 assists per game. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJWmg2t4Zbh5ppY Pull up jumpers, turn around jumpers, fade away jumpers, jumpers off the glass, lay ups, dunks, sky hooks (right/left hand), assists, running the floor, bringing the ball up on the fast break, defense/blocks....(one article said he should have won 3 dpoty awards, but the NBA wasn't giving them out at that time.) Prime Walton could do a lot of that, but not better than Kareem....nothing in the stats shows otherwise.

[@philb.1502]

Walton never averaged 20 pts in any season in the NBA. He was only healthy for 2 years in his NBA career. To say he was better than Kareem is ludicrous. Walton was a big what if in NBA history.

[@TheLookingOne]

Was pinning the ball against the backboard illegal back then? Or are the commentators talking colloquially about goaltending?

[@davidmoran5431]

such cutting too

[@harrykirk7415]

Kareem one of the most durable ever, played well to age 42 or so. Walton : about 2 healthy seasons.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Walton was about 2.5 healthy seasons in total. One FULL with the Celtics, and about 1.5 with Portland but not in a row.

[@ellvtv2314]

1:19, that was not a travel

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Yes it was. Two steps before he shot it, and no dribble. Hard to see though from the camera angle - but the REF had a very good angle to see it.

[@ellvtv2314]

@@bricefleckenstein9666 Not a travel bud. It's 2 steps allowed after the gather.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

@@ellvtv2314 Hello, 1970s game. PAY ATTENTION. THERE WAS NO GATHER RULE (added to the travel rules in 2009, tighter specified in 2019), and the Travel rule was also changed from 1 step to 2 in 2009. www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=4563546 about the original 2009 rule changes (and it WAS a change to the rules, even if NBA refs had widely MISCALLED the rule for a while). Pay particular attention to Walt Fraiser's comments in that article - Hall of Fame on his first ballot, 7 x All Defense, 7 x All Star, 6 x All NBA, and a member of the 50 Year All Time Team, he KNOWS what he's talking about on the subject. official.nba.com/new-language-in-nba-rule-book-regarding-traveling-violations/#:~:text=Incorporating%20the%20Gather%20into%20the%20Traveling%20Rule&text=A%20player%20who%20gathers%20the,ball%20to%20start%20his%20dribble. covers the "clarification" and notes that the rule PRIOR TO THAT POINT had been getting called differently than the INTENT of the rule (hello Hardin in particular).

[@LeeRoggy]

When I bother to check in with today's game (which isn't frequent and a shame since I was a basketball nut growing up in the 60's and 70's) it looks like NBA '20 come to life . . . fast breaks to hoist 3-pointers, etc. Athleticism is much better but fundamentals are missing. I remember when John Wooden once came out and stated he preferred watching the woman's game because it was more fundamentally sound.

[@brettldouglas]

Walton is pretty much Jokic with no outside shot.

[@catcountry0099]

Jokic plays no defense

[@robertj5881]

a little "peek a boo" with a befuddled Kareem at 1:30

[@albertross2456]

So.much faster action in the paint than today's game

[@ddenuci]

Big difference between what was called a travel in 1977 vs. today. Take a look at 1:21. I don't see any travel there, but the ref did.

[@ArcadianGenesis]

Sky jam!

[@waltwilliams7063]

was that mark landsberger that walton put it back over about 45 seconds in? sorry bill i might have called a "loose ball foul".

[@waltwilliams7063]

sorry bad call. its don ford lands was a rookie the next season. for the bulls. duh.

[@stephenferracioli6116]

Once Kermit Washington went down with a knee injury, I knew the Lakers were toast. Don Ford just couldn’t make up for the physicality and production of KW.