Back In The Day NBA

Bill Walton's Legendary Call Lives On After Huge Slam By Victor Wembanyama In Olympics

Shandel Richardson

Dec 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; ESPN analyst Bill Walton during the game between the UCLA Bruins and the Maryland Terrapins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; ESPN analyst Bill Walton during the game between the UCLA Bruins and the Maryland Terrapins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It was two months ago when Hall of Famer Bill Walton died after a long bout cancer.

He may be gone but his legendary broadcasting call was alive on the two-month anniversary of his death. It came courtesy of NBC announcer Noah Eagle during Saturday's game between France and Argentina in the first game of the Olympics.

After France center Victor Wembanyama had a thunderous dunk near the end of the first half, Eagle went to a call made famous by Walton during his days as an announcer.

"In the words of the late Bill Walton, throw it down big man," Eagle said.

The dunk was part of an 11-0 run that allowed France to get back in the game. Wembanyama, who was the NBA's Rookie of the Year with the San Antonio Spurs, finished with 14 points and five rebounds in the first half.

Walton was known for the call when he was an announcer for the NBA in the 1990s and later at the college level. It became synonymous with his love for the Grateful Dead, his championships with the Portland Trail Blazers and UCLA Bruins.

Walton remains one of the most celebrated players in NBA history. When he passed away earlier this year, it was mourned by the entire basketball community.

At least his memory had a part in this year's Olympics.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com