NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared a heartfelt message on Monday, May 27, when Hall of Famer Bill Walton passed away at 71.
The 6-foot-11 former center passed away after a long battle with cancer, the NBA announced.
"My very close friend, fellow Bruin, and NBA rival Bill Walton died today. And the world feels so much heavier now. On the court, Bill was a fierce player, but off the court, he wasn't happy unless he did everything he could to make everyone around him happy. He was the best of us," Abdul-Jabbar posted on X, formerly Twitter.
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Abdul-Jabbar and Walton played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins under legendary head coach John Wooden, but they were never teammates.
Abdul-Jabbar saw action for the school from 1966 to 1969, while Walton played from 1971 to 1974.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton's rivalry
The two big men won five national titles for UCLA and were among the best big men in the NBA throughout the 1970s.
However, Walton's persistent injuries led to his decline as a star by the 1980s, while Abdul-Jabbar remained at the top of his game.
Walton's Portland Trail Blazers notably swept Abdul-Jabbar's Los Angeles Lakers in the 1977 Western Conference Finals en route to that year's NBA championship.
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