Two days after the Pac-12 took its final competitive breath, the conference lost its soul.
Bill Walton passed away Monday after 71 years of a life like no other, ever.
The cause: cancer.
Jon Wilner has been covering college sports for decades. Based out of Northern California with Bay Area News Group, Wilner, the voice of Pac-12 Hotline, was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2013 by the Football Writers Association of America for his coverage of the Pac-12 and is a five-time APSE award-winning reporter.
Left unsaid: a broken heart.
Walton might have been the greatest player in college basketball history. He won two NCAA titles with UCLA and two more in the NBA (with Portland and Boston) and was a no-brainer Hall of Fame inductee.
He was the world's preeminent Grateful Dead fan, a cycling enthusiast, a passionate environmentalist, a voracious reader and an iconic sports broadcaster.
He was as brilliant as he was goofy, as genuine as he was colorful, as joyous as he was loquacious.
Oh, could he talk.
My first conversation with Walton, years ago, was by telephone. I dialed; he answered. I introduced myself; he thanked me for calling, then spoke for 40 consecutive minutes — I did not utter a peep — on a surreal range of topics.
Bill Walton, left, talks with Arizona’s Chase Jeter, right, after a UA win in 2018.
The conversation at the Pearly Gates just went next-level, folks.
Also, Walton was the most passionate, unrelenting champion of his beloved 'Conference of Champions.'
Using his platform on ESPN and the Pac-12 Networks, Walton became the face and voice of the Pac-12 — a favorite of conference executives and campus officials alike.
For years, the only thing former commissioner Larry Scott and his marginalized athletic directors had in common was their fondness for Walton.
He loved engaging with fans, took a sincere interest in the athletes and continually praised the quality of play, even when the metrics were at odds with his reality.
It made sense: The UCLA graduate used to credit the Pac-12 "for my life."
When UCLA and USC announced in the summer of 2022 that they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, Walton was crushed.
He remained silent for months, then finally authored "UCLA's Wrong Turn," a poetic lament offered as a written statement:
Former UCLA basketball player Bill Walton, right, talks to UCLA Chancellor Gene Block during the second half of their Feb. 14, 2020 game against Oregon at Pauley Pavilion.
“I don’t believe that joining the Big 10 is in the best interest of UCLA, its students, its athletes, its alumni, its fans, the rest of the UC system, the State of California, or the world at large."
Later in the statement, he wrote:
"I have spoken to no one, other than the highest-level directors of athletics at UCLA, who think that this proposed move to the Big 10 is a good idea,
"Every argument made by these senior ADs and why they like it, is about money,
"These same proponents of moving to the Big 10, are the first people I have ever encountered in my life,
"Who have claimed economic hardship and limitations in Los Angeles,
"And that the solution lies in the Midwest."
Walton continued his broadcasting duties for ESPN and the Pac-12 Networks, mixing life stories with game analysis as only he could. But the heartache endured.
Analyst Bill Walton, left, speaks with play-by-play announcer Ted Robinson before a March 2016 Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament game in Las Vegas. A Walton-called basketball game was like performance art, viewers left buzzing and sometimes even a little confused when it was over.
His passing on Monday, first announced by the NBA, came two days after the final athletic competition for the Pac-12 as we know it: Arizona's victory over USC in the baseball tournament.
Whether Walton was aware of the event, we cannot say.
But he passed away two months before the Pac-12 he knew and loved fades to black. On Aug. 2, the departing schools will join their new leagues.
The Pac-12 will remain an official conference for at least two years as the Washington State and Oregon State football teams compete during a grace period provided by the NCAA.
Beyond that, nobody knows.
But this much is sure: Walton lived for 26,136 days, and the Pac existed for all of them.
It was the only conference that the champion of the 'Conference of Champions' ever knew.
Dave Pasch joins SportsCenter to reminisce on how he'll remember the legendary Bill Walton after the NBA announced the two-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer died of cancer at the age of 71 on Monday. (ESPN YouTube)
Bill Walton joined the Pac-12 Network set in classic fashion at the 2023 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament. (Pac-12 Networks YouTube)
Photos: Bill Walton's (1952-2024) ongoing connection to Tucson, basketball and the Pac-12
Broadcaster Bill Walton congratulates his son Luke Walton after Arizona defeated Illinois 75-73 on Dec. 8, 2002, as the father-son pair spoke briefly on ESPN.
UA head coach Lute Olson gets congratulated after the Wildcats faced UCLA in Los Angeles by former Bruins star and pro basketball player Bill Walton, father of Arizona's Luke Walton.
Pac-12 Networks announcer Bill Walton directs the shot as the Pride of Arizona lines up to get a photo with him before the start of the Arizona-UCLA semifinal game at the Pac-12 tournament, Friday, March 13, 2015, Las Vegas, Nev. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bill Walton, on the right visits with riders briefly before the start of the 29th El Tour de Tucson race on Saturday, November 19, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona. Photo by Benjie Sanders/ Arizona Daily Star.
LEFT: Luke Walton’s dad, former UCLA Bruin star Bill Walton, cheers on the Wildcats by booing the USC players when they came out onto the court on March 9, 2002.
NBA analyst Bill Walton signs autographs in front of the Drachman Boys and Girls Club after Walton and WNBA analyst Michelle Timms hosted a clinic for dozens of kids Nov. 23, 2002, in Tucson.
NBA analyst Bill Walton signs autographs after he and WNBA analyst Michelle Timms put on a basketball clinic for dozens of kids at the Drachman Boys and Girls Club on Nov. 23, 2002 in Tucson.
ESPN commentator Bill Walton stands and smiles during an Arizona Wildcats run during the second half of the No. 3 University of Arizona vs. California men's college basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz. Arizona won 87-59.
Bill Walton says hello to his son Luke Walton after Arizona practice at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, in March 2001. The elder Walton was on hand to provide color commentary for CBS.
Bill Walton speaks with his son Luke Walton (right) and Luke's best friend Richard Jefferson (left) during Thursday's practice at the Alamodome in preparation for the third round of the NCAA Tournament in March 2001.
Injured Arizona forward Brandon Ashley, talking with commentator Bill Walton at left, waves to the ZonaZoo as they applaud his entrance to the court before the No. 2 University of Arizona vs. University of Oregon mens college basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
Fellow big man Bill Walton, left, and Arizona center Kaleb Tarczewski chat courtside before the No. 2 University of Arizona vs. University of Oregon mens college basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
Arizona guard Gabe York (1) laughs with ESPN's Bill Walton, left, as he does a postgame interview following the Wildcats' 82-54 win against Colorado at the Coors Event Center on Feb. 26, 2015, in Boulder, Colorado.
Bill Walton talks with high-scorer Chase Jeter, right, after the Wildcats beat Montana at McKale Center, Dec. 19, 2018.
Luke Walton talks with his father Bill Walton and brother Chris Walton before UA's game against San Diego State. The tightly knit family is every bit a hoops family, with Luke at Arizona, Chris playing at San Diego State, Bill, a Hall of Fame player at UCLA and then in the NBA, and another brother, Nate, plays at Princeton. Photo by David Sanders.
Bill Walton, former UCLA basketball player, talks with Arizona Wildcats forward Brandon Ashley (21) as the players warm up before the start of the game at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. Photo taken Thursday January 09, 2014
Luke Walton with his father Bill Walton after UA defeated Purdue on Dec. 8, 2001.
Arizona center Chase Jeter chats with Pac-12 analyst Bill Walton before the Wildcats go against Baylor at McKale Center, Saturday, December 15, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
Bill Walton, left, talks with Arizona’s Chase Jeter, right, after a UA win in 2018.
A fan holds up a giant Bill Walton head during ESPN's live broadcast of "College GameDay" at McKale Center in Tucson on Feb. 25, 2017, prior to Top-10 foes Arizona and UCLA, Walton's alma mater, squaring off in one of the games of the year in college basketball that season.
Bill Walton, center, poses for a photo with members of the ZonaZoo, dressed in Thomas Jefferson garb for "American Pride Night" at McKale Center, Thursday, March 5, 2015, Tucson, Ariz.
Bill Walton, far right on stage, emceed a banquet featuring the eight coaches participating in the Maui Invitational. UA coach Sean Miller is on the left behind the surfboard.
An Oregon fan holds up a sign about Bill Walton.
Always one for on-air hijinks, ESPN color man Bill Walton, left, and play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch call the first half in wigs as Arizona goes up against UCLA in a Pac-12 matchup at McKale Center on Feb. 8, 2020.
ESPN Analyst Bill Walton and play-by-play man Dave Pasch call the action Arizona's matchup wiht Washington at McKale Arena on Feb. 7, 2019.
University of Arizona president Robert Robbins, left, and director of athletics Dave Heeke help Bill Walton unveil the school’s gift to him of a custom decorated chair before Arizona’s game against Washington State at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
Former college basketball and NBA star and sports broadcaster Bill Walton’s presence in Tucson became larger than life over the years. Back in 2016, artist Ignacio Garcia painted a mural of Walton riding a jackalope on the wall of the Rialto Theatre in downtown Tucson as part of the City of Tucson Mural Program, in conjunction with Tucson Arts Brigade. Garcia’s mural was inspired by myths and symbols often identified with the Southwest. He submitted his 2016 proposal with the rodeo on his mind, and the mythical jackalope seemed to go right along with that. “I wanted it to be fun and have a childish feel,” he says. “We all have this inner child; seeing something like this can give us a happy feeling.” Originally, the rider on the jackalope had the face of a child, but the Rialto’s Curtis McCrary suggested it have basketball announcer Bill Walton’s face instead. The image of Walton, who Tucsonans have found polarizing at times for his goofy personality, ups the “fun” of the mural, which was 45- by 45-feet and was on display until early 2024.
Mural of basketball star and commentator Bill Walton on the Rialto Theatre, Tucson on May 8, 2019.
Sportscaster Bill Walton poses with a big head cutout of Tara VanDerveer, Stanford Cardinal head coach for women's basketball, before the start of the men's Arizona and Stanford game at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015.
Analyst Bill Walton, left, speaks with play-by-play announcer Ted Robinson before a March 2016 Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament game in Las Vegas. A Walton-called basketball game was like performance art, viewers left buzzing and sometimes even a little confused when it was over.
Greg Hansen writes, "Whether intentional or not, (Bill) Walton became the front man, a one-man PR committee to drop “Conference of Champions’’ into seemingly every sentence of every Pac-12 basketball broadcast the last 15 seasons."
Former UCLA players Reggie Miller, left, and Bill Walton talk before their alma mater faces rival USC in a Pac-12 hoops matchup on Feb. 3, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Pac-12's Hall of Honor inducted Miller in 2010, his sister, Cheryl Miller (she was a transcendent star at USC) in 2018, and Walton's son, former Arizona great Luke Walton, in 2014. But Bill Walton, the one-man PR committee for the conference's basketball broadcasts and one of top few college players of all time, never heard his name called into this Hall.
Bill Walton sits at a broadcast table during an NCAA college basketball game between Stanford and Oregon in Stanford, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021.
Roxy Bernstein and Bill Walton chat on the court as part of the broadcast for Arizona's eventual win over Utah at McKale Center on Feb. 8.
Sportscaster and former NBA player Bill Walton broadcasts the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament between the Oregon State Beavers and the Colorado Buffaloes at T-Mobile Arena on March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Television analyst Bill Walton stretches before the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Oregon and Colorado Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, in Boulder, Colo.
Former UCLA center Bill Walton looks on before the start of their NCAA college basketball game against Utah Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015, in Salt Lake City.
Bill Walton wears a University of Washington rowing uniform.
Former Portland Trail Blazer Bill Walton points a his teammates during a ceremony at halftime of an NBA basketball game between the Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. The ceremony celebrated the 1977 team's NBA championship.
Television announcer and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton, left, chats with retired NBA guard Chauncey Billups at halftime of the Arizona-Colorado NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, in Boulder, Colo. Billups attended Colorado and is a native of Denver. Arizona won 82-54.
Former UCLA basketball player Bill Walton, right, talks to UCLA Chancellor Gene Block during the second half of their Feb. 14, 2020 game against Oregon at Pauley Pavilion.
This April 5, 2010, file photo shows Basketball great Bill Walton speaking during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class announcement, in Indianapolis.
National Basketball Association legends gather Tuesday, May 25, 2004, at the NBA store in New York to tape "The Finals: A Summit of Champions," featuring a roundtable discussion with some of the league's legends. In the front row, from left, are New York Knicks' Willis Reed, Los Angeles Lakers' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Boston Celtics' Bill Russell, Portland Trail Blazers' Bill Walton,and Boston Celtics' Robert Parrish. In the back row from left, are San Antonio Spurs' George Gervin, Houston Rockets' Clyde Drexler, Golden State Warriors' Rick Barry, Milwaukee Bucks' Oscar Robertson and New York Knicks' Walt Frazier.
Bill Walton, left, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, died Monday the league announced on behalf of his family. He was 71.
Former UCLA center Bill Walton, pictured in 1973, built a Hall of Fame playing career as one of the best college players of all time and an NBA MVP.
Basketball star Bill Walton, speaks during press conference at Glide Memorial Church Wednesday, April 9, 1975 in San Francisco, Calif.
UCLA's Bill Walton misses blocking a shot by North Carolina State's Steve Nuce (52) during the second period of their game in St. Louis, Dec. 15, 1973. The UCLA Bruins beat North Carolina 84-66.
Bill Walton, the All-American center for UCLA's record-getting basketball team, admires the Sullivan Award after David Ravines, right, president of the Amateur Athletic Union, announced that Walton will receive the award as top amateur athlete, Feb. 4, 1974, in Los Angeles.
UCLA basketball coach John Wooden shown with Bill Walton (32) right, and Swen Nater (31), 1972.
Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) pushes Portland Trail Blazers center Bill Walton (32), who tries to go to the basket, during NBA finals playoff game in Portland, Ore., Friday, May 14, 1977.
The Denver Nuggets' Dan Issel, left, guards the Portland Trail Blazers' Bill Walton as Walton moves towards the basket during their 1978 game in Portland, Ore.
