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USC Basketball: Former Trojan Shares Bill Walton Memories

The Hall of Famer passed away after a cancer battle earlier this week.
Alex Kirschenbaum|
Nov 6, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Hall of Famer Bill Walton (left) talks to UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) before the game against the St. Francis (Pa) Red Flash at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Hall of Famer Bill Walton (left) talks to UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) before the game against the St. Francis (Pa) Red Flash at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports | Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

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Former USC Trojans big man Chevez Goodwin got in on the Bill Walton tributes this week by sharing a sweet text exchange between himself and the former UCLA center.

After leading the Bruins to a pair of consecutive NCAA championships under John Wooden in 1972 and '73, Walton went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame pro career with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers and finally the Boston Celtics. He passed away after a battle with colon cancer earlier this week.

The 6-foot-11 big man was much venerated in the basketball world, beloved for his unique hippy personality and ability to put on a brave face when dealing with major adversity (in his case, severe foot and back injuries that cut his career short). It's fascinating — and perhaps not so surprising — to see that the man perhaps best remembered (catchphrase-wise, that is) for saying, "Throw it down, big man!" during innumerable Pac-12 Network broadcasts served as a mentor to other Pac-12 big men, including Goodwin.

After stints at the College of Charleston and Wofford, the 6-foot-9 big man transferred to Andy Enfield's Trojans from 2020-22. He averaged 11 points on 57 percent field goal shooting, 6.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.5 blocks per game across 34 contests (all starts) during his senior season in 2021-22. Goodwin went undrafted that subsequent summer, and went on to play for Aris Thessaloniki in Greece during the 2022-23 season, for whom he was named a Greek League All-Star. He's currently suiting up for Germany's Rostock Seawolves.

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Alex Kirschenbaum
ALEX KIRSCHENBAUM

Tell Alex, were you in the joint the night Wilt scored 100 points? Or when the Celtics won titles back-to-back and didn't give nobody no kind of slack?

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