Meg and Spanners also discuss Aston Martins positive press focusing on Fernando Alonso and touch on Ferraris consistent performance. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. Ive always been tall. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. NBA teams paying closer attention to players' wingspan. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? He played without pain for the first time in years, and he seemed happier than ever. Walton, 29 years old, returned to the court for the 1982-83 season, playing about one game a week as many as his doctor would permit. Then, in February, after a 113-92 trouncing of Philadelphia, Walton was forced to the sideline with an injured left foot. A contemporary Walton would be free to act as the rising tide to lift all boats, to invert the offense and sling the ball around to the open man, and to hunt playmaking opportunities at least as often as he did his own shot. Im not as fast laterally, Im not as athletic, Im not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length, said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. Waltons career-long struggle with injury and pain began even before he achieved fame at UCLA. He could pass and run the floor, dribble. But the Celtics Brogdon is mounting a well-rounded campaign that hearkens back to some of the earliest Sixth Men. In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defense. He claimed to be around the 6ft 11 mark, and on his twitter in 2015 still saying, it's a strange oneI do think he could look near 7ft, but maybe he really did measure under it and simply rounded off to 6ft 11 rather than up to the 7ft. At the top of his form, Walton scored, passed, intimidated, hustled, and played the role of leader with the best centers of his day. The staggering array of injurieswhich would require some three-dozen surgical procedures over the yearscost Walton three full seasons in what should have been his prime and kept him from ever experiencing the sort of professional success for which he seemed destined while starring for John Wooden. He would need to stay trim and explosive enough to cover a ton of ground, because you can bet that every modern offense would make it Job No. You make up a lot of ground. Position: Center. Bill Walton was a lifelong stutterer until receiving some speech tips and guidance from Hall of Fame broadcaster and Syracuse University track legend Marty Glickman. "It's not how big you are, it's how big you play. Its no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. Oakland, Calif. Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. They were the last games he would play for more than two seasons, in which the Clippers won only 36 and 17 games, respectively. My generation is trying to straighten it out. That reaction underlines another reason Id love to see him now: Hed be an unbelievably alluring subject for modern media coveragea larger-than-life character whose outsize public figure would be rivaled only by his raw-nerve sensitivity. Im a different person now than I was when I came into the NBA, he said in an interview with Sport magazine. Durant, the reigning NBA Finals MVP , is quick to point out that his length allows him to make up for other areas, including being far leaner than most NBA players. The next day, the reporters ask me, You were at the Rockets game, what do you think? I told them, I think I could block four shots I saw.. As Bill Waltonwho knew a thing or two about how big men could dominate while still playing a team-first game (and whom well get to in a second! At age 32 and with his comeback drawing to an inevitable end, Walton wanted more than just to be playing. What Are the Characteristics of a Great NBA Sixth Man of the Year? He is also one of the greatest college . Walton inducted himself About Us He spoke only to reporters he knew would present him favorably, while shunning the others, who were mostly Portland locals. He was a very athletic player. I was born tall, he said. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. Every asset that a player has might make up for something else. In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defense. Hed need to be as adept as ever at bursting past defenders with one-dribble power moves, spinning away from them to elevate for alley-oops, and rim-running in transition. Both Walton and the Clippers improved over the next two years. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. Basketball was a sport where under optimal conditions a great player with considerable ego disciplined himself and became unselfish. (Walton had his share of ego too. Finally, there is Johnny Kerr, who was . The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . That's kind of a rule of thumb. The cellar-dwelling Blazers had finished with the second-worst record in the league in 1973-74, and Portland fans were thrilled at the arrival of a potential franchise player. Off the floor I worried. Im a big believer in that., More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball, This March 25, 2018, photo shows Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in action during an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif. From executives and scouts to coaches and analytics types, teams are paying closer attention to wingspan when considering players _ especially with what long arms can mean making a defensive impact. At one time, they were long enough, and I can still put my own shoes and socks on, he quipped. Bill Walton's Height 6ft 11 (212.7 cm) Former American Basketball Player. Former American Basketball Player. They can control the basketball, they can do things with it. The controversies that had embroiled Walton up to this point were mild compared to what would follow. Though remembered by many for a career plagued by injuries and a personal life spiced by controversy, Bill Walton won high praise from players and coaches alike during his checkered career. Bill Russell was a great shotblocker. LDS Church wants to light up a temple in a place that prides itself on dark skies, For husband-and-wife team, this new restaurant is the culmination of a decadeslong dream. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. Free) fumed to the San Diego Union at the time. Walton is a 3 time All-America College Player and winner of the Sullivan Award for the United States Best Amateur Athlete of 1973. You make up a lot of ground. The Walton-led Blazers rampaged through their first 60 games with a 50-10 record. Walton enjoyed a blazing start as a rookie, averaging 16.0 ppg, 19.0 rpg, 4.4 apg and 4 bpg in his first seven contests. Those are my five, but theres always room for more time travelers, so lets hit a few honorable mentions: Vlade Divac (1989-2005): Bigs who can pass, forever and ever, amen. NBA legend Bill Walton co-authored a byline explaining why one plot of land outside San Diego could be a way to help end the homeless crisis in the city. The 76ers had a chance to pull out Game 6, but both Julius Erving and George McGinnis missed medium-range shots that would have sent the game into overtime. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. I think hed do just fine now, too. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Inspired by rule changes that allowed for zone defenses, easier double-teams, and more effective swarms of players holding the ball in the post, the game has moved away from just dumping the ball down to your big man on the block and letting him cook. It is as if Agony and Ecstasy are Bill's Scylla and Charybdys, with his 7'+ wingspan wide enough to touch both simultaneously. He acted as a half-court offensive hub from the elbows and out of the post; as the last line of defense on the other end, he was an ace shot-blocker and defensive rebounder who looked for every opportunity to trigger a fast break and an easy bucket within the flow of the game. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. He wanted to be loved more than anything else, and yet he was convinced that nobody loves Goliath.. Bill Walton is an American sportscaster and former professional retired basketball player. His arms are long and he can block shots. We got a brief glimpse at something like that about a decade agolest we forget, Shaq averaged 18-and-8 alongside Steve Nash for the Slightly Longer Than Seven Seconds Suns in 2008-09but by then, he was 36 and heavier, with more than 45,000 regular and postseason minutes on his body. Extremely intelligent but besides that, he has tremendous basketball instinct.. Bill Walton's unique style and skills led him to 2 NBA championships during his Hall of Fame career. His arms are long and he can block shots. If youre wondering what it might look like, the Big Baryshnikov has a comp handy. West was known for his extremely quick jump shot, and when coupled with his length, it formed one of the deadliest jump shots in NBA history. In one game he scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes. Id like to see him in the NBA, just to see how great hed be if he were pushed to the limit all the time.. Things didnt improve in Portland, as ankle and foot injuries (along with two separate broken wrists) cost him 78 games over his first two seasons. The NBA playoffs begin Saturday, and an extra inch of reach can lead to a blocked shot or steal that might alter a series or a season. The explosive Russell Westbrook is 6-3, with a wingspan of 6-8, which helps him be one of the best rebounding guards in history. That is not the case for young players. If your wingspan is more than your height, thats kind of abnormal. Its legit. Portland's entire offense ran through him because he was such an exceptional passer for a center and he was a terrific defensive anchor. My name is Giannis Antetokounmpo., Career (470 games, 1995-2003): 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks per game, 50.0% FG, 32.8% 3FG, 78.6% FT. By the time Sabonis finally came to the NBA in 1995, he was already 31 years old with a pair of ruptured Achilles tendons and a litany of leg and groin injuries rendering him a pale imitation of what he once was. All rights reserved. During his 14 seasons, according to Basketball-Reference.com, the leagues average pace never dipped below 110 possessions per 48 minutes of game time; thats a full 10 possessions per 48 faster than this past season. "If your wingspan is more than your height, that's kind of abnormal. His old national teammate Sarunas Marciulionis emphasized in Basketball: A Love Story that Sabonis hadnt yet fully developed his face-up game, his 3-point shot, or his court vision before playing in Spain following the 88 Olympics, so a younger model wouldnt necessarily have resembled a more explosive version of the finished product. Before he got to the NBA, McGee wasnt even aware of his wingspan. How much better could he have been before the injuries? Center Bill Walton played 10 seasons for 3 teams. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. (Walton later sued the team; the case was settled out of court.).