When those two played together...it was MAGIC!! A dream team that had Bird and Walton on the same team...WOW! It didn't last long because Bill was older and his health was not good, but there was still enough of the old magic left that he and Bird were a sight to see. Walton liked to talk about how Larry made him feel young again.
Well, he did. It is truly too bad about the foot injuries which is the only reason he doesn't take his place with Russell, Wilt, Kareem and Moses. But it (injuries) did happen and happened to Grant Hill as well.
@@mja91352 yeah the list is loooong of would be all time greats who were great or very good for a short period. Or some like Bernard King, Grant Hill who had their prime cut short, but came back to a lower, but reasonably effective level.
It was so awesome watching this team as a kid. They were heroes to a 9 year old. You thought the Celtics were never going to lose in your whole life and these guys were never going to get old.
I was an LA Lakers fan during this era, so I also saw a lot of Celtics ball because they faced off so often in the championship. Two of the greatest passing teams of all times and they always pushed each other to new highs. Miss those days. This Celtics team was something special,...the ingredient of a healthy Bill Walton was tough.
Like all my friends, I was very sad when the Rockets beat the Lakers in '86. They couldn't carry the Lakers jocks, so I'm not sure how they managed to win . . . it SHOULD have been Lakers vs. Celtics for the rubber match. Hated the Lakers, yet loved the Lakers. What a phenomenal team they were.
@@matthewmehegan3475 It was a long time ago, but my recollection is that Houston's outside shooting percentage was off the charts against Lakers...extremely hot. There was nothing the Lakers could do in that scenario.
Man I remember this b-ball style. I miss them years,it was day in day out bad azz basket ball. Especially when McHale n Parish got into there game,it was spectacular show time. Newer generations can’t even imagine. Old school 80$-early 90$ was the times
Bill Walton loves great basketball and he saw an opportunity where he could make a great contribution to a great team even late in his career. Absolutely epic. I love that he enjoyed it so much too.
@M That's only because the sport is both cheap and dumb to play, so you can start as soon as you can walk. But it is extremely boring to watch, with only 5 or 6 decent plays in an hour and a half of game. That's why soccer fans turn to singing or drinking in the stands - they have to get their own party going on the side to make the game bearable. It is the party they enjoy, not the game.
I'd moved to New York that yr and didn't have a tv so only got to watch games in bàrs , missed out on that incredible season and bill Walton's last majestic moments, so thankful to be able to watch some of those games on utube, just beautiful basketball played the way it's supposed to be played
For once to play on a good team right out the gate for walton.as a SIXER fan,I tried not to think of his game,since I liked him since UCLA.he was doing it but not really doing it, but if you got Parish, D. Johnson, McHale,and...Bird on your team..
Bill Walton and Larry Bird are the best passing big men the game has ever seen. It was to bad they did not play longer together.....This is true basketball fundamentals that is missing in todays game. Really miss this type of play in todays game!
I gave last night´s Warriors vs. Rockets playoff a try. I wanted to call it basketball, but it was nothing more than a boring three-point shooting contest. After about five minutes I turned it off.
Walton was the best passing center ever. And he was so bright on the court. His injuries robbed him of being one of the top five centers ever. There really was not anything he could not do.
When I saw Bill Walton in college at UCLA I immediately saw that he was the greatest center, indeed, the greatest basketball player I had ever seen. I never thought I would ever see a player his equal. Then, when I saw Larry Bird in college I immediately knew he was just as great as Walton. I dreamed of being able to see what would happen if they ever got to play on the same team. In 1986 I got to see just that. It was magical. We are so fortunate to have such videos. The two of them are in a class by themselves.
Mr. Green…..finally, someone who agrees with me....Larry Bird was and is the best all around player ever to play the game of basketball.....Magic might be a couple of steps behind but Larry was the best ever to play the game.....Bill Walton, to me, should be mentioned in the great centers of the game with Jabber, Chamberlain and Russel...not that self hyped O'Neil who keeps promoting his insecure self.....A healthy Walton was as good or even better than the above becoz of that brain he had for the game......they made the game look so easy when they played together in 1986...probably the best team ever
5:16 - Cousy is describing just about every NBA team now and why the good 80's teams would crush them. Then Bird makes the pass between Joe Barry Carroll's legs - the guy the Celtics traded to get Parish AND McHale.
I am a lifelong Lakers fan, but the basketball IQ, unselfishness, and artistry demonstrated here... just execution of fundamentals at their pinnacle. Textbook basketball - how the game was intended to be played. A healthy Bill Walton was absolutely among the finest ever to play the game - regardless of era.
It was hard to appreciate how incredible this was at the time, because Walton was older and had been injury prone for years. However, this was basically an all-time great combination for a year. They were actually very similar. Reminded me of seeing videos of Magic and Bird playing together. Very team oriented players who made their teammates instantly better every time they stepped on the floor. You could tell Bird enjoyed playing with Walton and probably sensed it was a special time to play with an all-time great center who might not be playing much longer. Walton made the game easier for Bird. Walton knew it was a special time in his career. Both seemed to be having a lot of fun.
As great a shooter as Bird was, it was his passing that I so admired. And both he and Walton took a game I struggled to play and made it look easy . . . taking the best players in the world and making them look like children.
Today's NBA fans love to see dunks and plays above the rim. They think basic fundamental plays like the pick n roll are boring. I have to disagree. What Bird n Walton, Bird n Parish, Bird n McHale did was sheer beauty, The opposition knew it was coming but still they couldn't stop it. That 86 team was incredible and IMO, one of the top 5 NBA teams ever. Would have loved to see Bias play for the Celtics in 87. Could have made a Big difference in the outcome of the Finals.
+Edward Anthony Leone "Today's NBA fans love to see dunks and plays above the rim. They think basic fundamental plays like the pick n roll are boring. " None of this is true.
What you said reminds me of why NC State won against Houston in 83'. NC State, PURE fundamentals...Phi Slama Jama was all running, fast breaks etc. As soon as NC state forced them to PLAY basketball, they were awful. The yeah before that, another NC team, with M. Jordan slayed Houston easily...again, with fundamentals. Sound fundamentals can never be forsaken.
No team today could have defended or beat this team in 7 games. They had at any given moment 4-5 HOFers on the floor at the same time. Poetry in motion, what a weapon Walton was. Beautiful to watch...
Thanks for sharing. You can tell Walton just loved playing with Bird because the ball was headed to the open man - even if it meant going through the legs of an opposing player!! Bird did this on numerous occasions, the most famous being a bounce pass between the legs of Jack Sikma to Robert Parish in a playoff game! Fun to watch such creative passing.
@@cindyknudson2715 From what I can remember I have seen Bird make this pass vs Cooper, Sikma, Akeem, Ron Seikley, Uve Blop, and Joe Barry Carroll (not a bounce pass but still great) so that is 6 that I have seen in these videos.
What a year that was............watching that team. They were 40-1 at home. Loved it. I wish Bill could have played one more year because they probably would have won another championship but his body just didn't hold up. Arguably the greatest team of all time {other than the Dream Team of course.} Certainly the combination of Bird and Walton {who I thought would have been the best player EVER to play the game had he been healthy] was incredibly fun to watch. I used to get a sandwich and set up my chair 15 minutes before each Celtic broadcast.
gerizzyYMcrew A couple of the Bulls teams were certainly in that vicinity. I'm not sure about the 2014 Spurs. Where did you come up with them as one of the best ever? Never heard them mentioned in that context before.................The Laker team with Chamberlain, West, Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, and Jim MacMillan were very good also. They won 33 straight. A couple of the Celtic teams {the year they won 68 games Havlicek {who was one of the top 15 players ever} hurt his shoulder and was ineffective. The Knicks won the NBA Title that year.} The great Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Jo Jo White, Don Chaney, Paul Silas, and Paul Westphal teams coached by Tommy Heinsohn were tremendous. Then there was the Philadelphia team with the great Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer {shot a jump shot at the free throw line}, Chet Walker, Luke Jackson, Billy "Jumping Jack" Cunningham. Great team. That Philadelphia team that year with Moses, Dr "J", Andrew Toney, Mo Cheeks, and Bobby Jones when Moses famously said, "4,4,,4" when asked how he thought the play-offs would go. Loved those teams. The Washington Bullets with Wes Unseld and the great Elvin Hayes, "EEEEEEE." San Antonio was a terrific group definitely though. The way they shot the 3 point field goal in the play-offs was remarkable as was their chemistry. I loved Walton. I always thought without the injuries he might have been better than ANY of them.
gerizzyYMcrew I was just reminiscing. I thought you might have enough perspective and depth as a human being to appreciate that. Obviously you're shallow and have to be "right." That is what's important to you. {You must be young.} OK then. The 2014 Spurs were the greatest team in the history of team sports {not only basketball.} They rival The Beatles. They rival Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel. They rival Doestoyevsky's work Crime and Punishment. There will be a museum in London some day to celebrate the 2014 San Antonio Spurs.
gerizzyYMcrew One more thing. The Spurs got taken 7 games by a "pretty good" {at best} Dallas team last year in the play-offs and I didn't think {despite all the hoopla} Miami was a "great" team. They had no inside presence and Wade is only really able to play and play hard about 60% of his games now. They asked Dave Cowens how he thought those great Celtic teams would do against one of the better NBA teams of today and he said, "I think we'd beat them by 40." I don't think todays Clippers {flawed}, Toronto {are you kidding..........they are a pretty good team at best} are very good, the Indiana Pacers of the last few years who everyone has spoken of as "so good"..........weren't THAT good. I think some of those Bulls teams you mentioned would kill them. I'm not impressed with Oklahoma City as a basketball team. Serge Ibaka? I wonder how he'd do against Dave Cowens or Moses Malone or a 30 year old Kareem or Bob Lanier? {Oh I'm sorry. The great Kendrick Perkins would cover them.} I'm not That impressed with the Trailblazers or even the Bulls. {Derrick Rose can't shoot the ball and Pau Gasol is getting old. It says something about the current NBA that Duncan {at his age} and Gasol are as effective as they are. I'd like to see how Duncan would do against a 28 year old Akeem Olajuwan............I'm not impressed by today's NBA at all.
+kentucy9999 Maybe. It is a real tragedy about Walton's injuries. The late 70's Blazers were a joy to watch as well. Walton was both textbook and creative.
Bill Walton has said how grateful he was to leave the Clippers and play for the Celtics. He's always eloquent and insightful when he discusses playing for the Celtics.
After studying Bill Walton's clips, wow, he was the Center version of Bird. Truly a great. It's a shame we didn't see him healthy, and that sports science wasn't as good as it was back then.
Very hard to watch 38 years later. And yet very easy to watch as time goes by. Remember bird laying on floor during games as he was trying to play but couldn’t.
RIP Bill 😢 Though you played a stort time in Boston, in New England YOU WILL ALWAYS BE CELTIC!!!!I I am quite sure you will there in spirit has we put number 18 in the rafters. Thank you for all the GREAT MEMORIES BILL
I don't think people truly appreciate how special Walton was IMO greatest college player ever his year and a half when he was healthy in Portland they were 70-15 before the Injury and the relationship went sour
What a joy to watch. Great passers and team players. I miss the old Celtic fast break and passing basketball with Cousy, Russell , Havelchick, Sanders, Jones. Problem is nowadays everyone does a fast break, and everyone is a lot quicker.
Walton is truly underrated. He was far quicker then Jabbar or Chamberlain, but he couldn't stay as healthy. A better shooter, a better defensive player, and better passer he just did not build up the same career totals because of injuries.
trha2222 it wasn't about how hard he played-he just had really weak bones, and it wasn't just his knees. He has trouble with his knees and his feet and after his career ended he had a spinal fusion. It's a shame, because he had such a desire to play. I watched an interview talking about when his career ended and he almost started crying. He was a very passionate about basketball.
Greats like Bill Walton may not have lasted long but while on the court they showed their brilliance. So they still have their place in the sport of all time greats.
It was Joe Barry Carroll who Bird flipped it through the legs of. His nickname was "Joe Barely Cares" and you can see why with the effort on that play.
the great Bob Cousy announcing... man, that '86 team was special. oh, that last play... Bird went thru the legs of Joe Barry Carroll... the man we traded to get Parrish & McHale.
So true . . . complete absence of post play and interior passing. Steph's skills are phenomenal, but I get so sick of other players who aren't as good trying to do the same thing and crapping their knickers.
I went to UCLA during the Walton years …. he was magnificent and I wish he was healthy in the NBA because it is rare to find talent, determination, and intelligence in one player.....
Parish and Bird had some great plays too. They used to run one play where Parish would seemingly set a back screen for Bird but then immediately cut back to the basket and Bird would lob it over everyone to Chief for a wide open dunk. Basically a fake pick.
Big Bill Missed more than Half his Games AND STILL made the HOF!!! I was 8 and living in the Portland Metro in Vancouver WA. When the Blazers won in 77. Wasn't quite a Fan yet. That would have to wait until 79.
And Walton got his ring in 77 with the Blazers and it got a ring in 86 with the Celtics Walton the great player when he was healthy , Bill Walton one of the most unselfish players ever seems like a pretty cool dude to
And had maybe the greatest NCAA Championship game performance ever in UCLA's win over Memphis St. in '73....one of those games where one player is just on another level than anyone around him....opponents or teammates.
I watch this every couple of weeks because it reminds me how Bball used to be played. Walton & Bird were genius players.
No traveling, carrying the Ball, palming etc.... The game was ruined by Nike , David Stern and Jordan!
Wpww
Yup. I know what You mean. NBA Basketball is a Total Joke. I've been watching the '77 Finals between the Blazers and 76ers. What a Great Series.
Love that give and go
You mean you don't love watching teams they'reup 60+ threes combined? Neither do I.
Bill Walton… Very underrated. He was extremely bright, not only academically, but had a real great basketball IQ. Walton and Bird together = Genius.
When those two played together...it was MAGIC!! A dream team that had Bird and Walton on the same team...WOW! It didn't last long because Bill was older and his health was not good, but there was still enough of the old magic left that he and Bird were a sight to see. Walton liked to talk about how Larry made him feel young again.
That 86 Celtics team is the greatest team ever, basketball never be the same as it was in the 80s Larry and Magic
That was a tremendously special year on all levels. Certainly one of the greatest teams ever & so much fun to watch.
Most beautiful basketball team to watch ever
Weren't they the only team to go 15-1 in the 3 rounds of playoffs?
@@AndyZach They went 15-3 losing one game to the Bucks and two to the Rockets.
White man basketball
@@davemartino5997 You mean smart and beautiful? 😋
im so glad bill walton won rings to solidify his greatness...
Well, he did. It is truly too bad about the foot injuries which is the only reason he doesn't take his place with Russell, Wilt, Kareem and Moses. But it (injuries) did happen and happened to Grant Hill as well.
@@Amick44 maybe they did it to him on purpose
He win in Portland
@@Amick44 to be considered "great," you have to play. Elementary, ain't it?
@@mja91352 yeah the list is loooong of would be all time greats who were great or very good for a short period. Or some like Bernard King, Grant Hill who had their prime cut short, but came back to a lower, but reasonably effective level.
Beautiful to witness over and over
It was so awesome watching this team as a kid. They were heroes to a 9 year old. You thought the Celtics were never going to lose in your whole life and these guys were never going to get old.
I was an LA Lakers fan during this era, so I also saw a lot of Celtics ball because they faced off so often in the championship. Two of the greatest passing teams of all times and they always pushed each other to new highs. Miss those days. This Celtics team was something special,...the ingredient of a healthy Bill Walton was tough.
Like all my friends, I was very sad when the Rockets beat the Lakers in '86. They couldn't carry the Lakers jocks, so I'm not sure how they managed to win . . . it SHOULD have been Lakers vs. Celtics for the rubber match. Hated the Lakers, yet loved the Lakers. What a phenomenal team they were.
@@matthewmehegan3475 It was a long time ago, but my recollection is that Houston's outside shooting percentage was off the charts against Lakers...extremely hot. There was nothing the Lakers could do in that scenario.
Always been Lakera but the Celtics get respect....
I would never publically admit I was a Laker fan
Imagine if Len Bias joined them in 1986 , but he passed away .
Man I remember this b-ball style. I miss them years,it was day in day out bad azz basket ball. Especially when McHale n Parish got into there game,it was spectacular show time. Newer generations can’t even imagine. Old school 80$-early 90$ was the times
This is the epitome of basketball genius by two of the highest b-ball IQ players of all time!
Bill Walton loves great basketball and he saw an opportunity where he could make a great contribution to a great team even late in his career. Absolutely epic. I love that he enjoyed it so much too.
The 80's Celtics got just as much satisfaction for passing as they did for scoring.
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C soccer sucks!
@M That's only because the sport is both cheap and dumb to play, so you can start as soon as you can walk. But it is extremely boring to watch, with only 5 or 6 decent plays in an hour and a half of game. That's why soccer fans turn to singing or drinking in the stands - they have to get their own party going on the side to make the game bearable. It is the party they enjoy, not the game.
@@fmacias1don't be racist, your saying that because us Black folks dominate the sport and you are calling my people dumb
@@fmacias1 .....piss poor point of view...
I'd moved to New York that yr and didn't have a tv so only got to watch games in bàrs , missed out on that incredible season and bill Walton's last majestic moments, so thankful to be able to watch some of those games on utube, just beautiful basketball played the way it's supposed to be played
You see things here you won’t even see today thanks for this
Somebody else said it best when commenting on another Celtics video: "Nobody on earth had more fun than Bill Walton did on the 1985-86 Celtics..."
Occidental Savage I kno somebody who did lol Bird
For once to play on a good team right out the gate for walton.as a SIXER fan,I tried not to think of his game,since I liked him since UCLA.he was doing it but not really doing it, but if you got Parish, D. Johnson, McHale,and...Bird on your team..
Bird and Walton's chemistry was scary
And Bird/DJ. They would run that pick all day.
Bill Walton and Larry Bird are the best passing big men the game has ever seen. It was to bad they did not play longer together.....This is true basketball fundamentals that is missing in todays game. Really miss this type of play in todays game!
I gave last night´s Warriors vs. Rockets playoff a try. I wanted to call it basketball, but it was nothing more than a boring three-point shooting contest. After about five minutes I turned it off.
Today's NBA stinks.
Bill Waton is so gracious when he tells Celtic stories. It's never, Me, me, me.
Every game of the 1986 Celtics should be made available somewhere. It'd be some of the best basketball anyone will ever see.
Walton was the best passing center ever. And he was so bright on the court. His injuries robbed him of being one of the top five centers ever. There really was not anything he could not do.
He was one of the top centers ever.
garrison 68 he was great! But sorry, Sabonis is the best passing big man ever
@@aladinalbir9894 ..... DISAGREE COMPLETELY ! Best passing center ever was Big Red, Bill Walton. BEST CENTER EVER Mr. Bill Russell.
LordofDublin4 calling Russel the best center ever tells me everything about you! Dwayne Schintzius all the way
@@aladinalbir9894 Russell had 14 titles in 14 years including NBA, NCAA, and olympics. Who even came close to that.
When I saw Bill Walton in college at UCLA I immediately saw that he was the greatest center, indeed, the greatest basketball player I had ever seen. I never thought I would ever see a player his equal. Then, when I saw Larry Bird in college I immediately knew he was just as great as Walton. I dreamed of being able to see what would happen if they ever got to play on the same team. In 1986 I got to see just that. It was magical. We are so fortunate to have such videos. The two of them are in a class by themselves.
That was the greatest season, ever.
Mr. Green…..finally, someone who agrees with me....Larry Bird was and is the best all around player ever to play the game of basketball.....Magic might be a couple of steps behind but Larry was the best ever to play the game.....Bill Walton, to me, should be mentioned in the great centers of the game with Jabber, Chamberlain and Russel...not that self hyped O'Neil who keeps promoting his insecure self.....A healthy Walton was as good or even better than the above becoz of that brain he had for the game......they made the game look so easy when they played together in 1986...probably the best team ever
Jabbar is the greatest center ever, by far actually. Cut that shit out.
Israelite Unite Walton was just as good
MsHambone3000 h
5:16 - Cousy is describing just about every NBA team now and why the good 80's teams would crush them.
Then Bird makes the pass between Joe Barry Carroll's legs - the guy the Celtics traded to get Parish AND McHale.
For a short time Bill Walton the best center of all time
In other words his skill sets were the best
I am a lifelong Lakers fan, but the basketball IQ, unselfishness, and artistry demonstrated here... just execution of fundamentals at their pinnacle.
Textbook basketball - how the game was intended to be played.
A healthy Bill Walton was absolutely among the finest ever to play the game - regardless of era.
After being on a crappy Clippers team for so long, going to Boston rejuvenated Walton. I agree with the others who are happy Walton got his ring!
It’s 05.27.2024. Rest well, Bill Walton. Thank you for playing in Boston while you did. 🏀
It was hard to appreciate how incredible this was at the time, because Walton was older and had been injury prone for years. However, this was basically an all-time great combination for a year. They were actually very similar. Reminded me of seeing videos of Magic and Bird playing together. Very team oriented players who made their teammates instantly better every time they stepped on the floor. You could tell Bird enjoyed playing with Walton and probably sensed it was a special time to play with an all-time great center who might not be playing much longer. Walton made the game easier for Bird. Walton knew it was a special time in his career. Both seemed to be having a lot of fun.
As great a shooter as Bird was, it was his passing that I so admired. And both he and Walton took a game I struggled to play and made it look easy . . . taking the best players in the world and making them look like children.
Cannot believe he is gone today, only 71 but what a player and what a life!
Today's NBA fans love to see dunks and plays above the rim. They think basic fundamental plays like the pick n roll are boring. I have to disagree. What Bird n Walton, Bird n Parish, Bird n McHale did was sheer beauty, The opposition knew it was coming but still they couldn't stop it. That 86 team was incredible and IMO, one of the top 5 NBA teams ever. Would have loved to see Bias play for the Celtics in 87. Could have made a Big difference in the outcome of the Finals.
Edward Anthony Leone A healthy Bias & Lewis would have been about another 8 championships in a row.
+Edward Anthony Leone "Today's NBA fans love to see dunks and plays above the rim. They think basic fundamental plays like the pick n roll are boring. " None of this is true.
What you said reminds me of why NC State won against Houston in 83'. NC State, PURE fundamentals...Phi Slama Jama was all running, fast breaks etc. As soon as NC state forced them to PLAY basketball, they were awful.
The yeah before that, another NC team, with M. Jordan slayed Houston easily...again, with fundamentals.
Sound fundamentals can never be forsaken.
You're right Ernesto...fans just never see a pick and roll anymore...it's all "pass around the perimeter, and go one on one."
Edward Anthony Leone you are correct sir, just one on one no team basketball any more, it's a shame.
Amazing that these Walton-Bird pick & rolls were so similar, yet for some reason indefensible.
No team today could have defended or beat this team in 7 games. They had at any given moment 4-5 HOFers on the floor at the same time. Poetry in motion, what a weapon Walton was. Beautiful to watch...
Thanks for sharing. You can tell Walton just loved playing with Bird because the ball was headed to the open man - even if it meant going through the legs of an opposing player!! Bird did this on numerous occasions, the most famous being a bounce pass between the legs of Jack Sikma to Robert Parish in a playoff game! Fun to watch such creative passing.
mrgrandprix fourspeed jack sikma! st. Anne, Illinois' finest.
I'd love to see a compilation video of Bird's "between the legs of... " passes.
@@cindyknudson2715 From what I can remember I have seen Bird make this pass vs Cooper, Sikma, Akeem, Ron Seikley, Uve Blop, and Joe Barry Carroll (not a bounce pass but still great) so that is 6 that I have seen in these videos.
Passing is the lost art of the NBA
Amongst everything else
This is why I don't watch basketball to much anymore, this is incredible, all it is today is one on one let me be the star.
86 Celtics best team ever... Larry LEGEND Bird is the greatest all around player EVER
This is what is called playing basketball. It is a thing of beauty.
that was AWESOME~! I like Bills enthusiasm. He really enjoyed being a Celtic
What a year that was............watching that team. They were 40-1 at home. Loved it. I wish Bill could have played one more year because they probably would have won another championship but his body just didn't hold up. Arguably the greatest
team of all time {other than the Dream Team of course.} Certainly the combination of Bird and Walton {who I thought would have been the best player EVER to play the game had he been healthy] was incredibly fun to watch. I used to get a sandwich and set up my chair 15 minutes before each Celtic broadcast.
gerizzyYMcrew A couple of the Bulls teams were certainly in that vicinity. I'm not sure about the 2014 Spurs. Where did you come up with them as one of the best ever? Never heard them mentioned in that context before.................The Laker team with Chamberlain, West, Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, and Jim MacMillan were very good also. They won 33 straight. A couple of the Celtic teams {the year they won 68 games Havlicek {who was one of the top 15 players ever} hurt his shoulder and was ineffective. The Knicks won the NBA Title that year.} The great Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Jo Jo White, Don Chaney, Paul Silas, and Paul Westphal teams coached by Tommy Heinsohn were tremendous. Then there was the Philadelphia team with the great Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer {shot a jump shot at the free throw line}, Chet Walker, Luke Jackson, Billy "Jumping Jack" Cunningham. Great team. That Philadelphia team that year with Moses, Dr "J", Andrew Toney, Mo Cheeks, and Bobby Jones when Moses famously said, "4,4,,4" when asked how he thought the play-offs would go. Loved those teams. The Washington Bullets with Wes Unseld and the great Elvin Hayes, "EEEEEEE." San Antonio was a terrific group definitely though. The way they shot the 3 point field goal in the play-offs was remarkable as was their chemistry. I loved Walton. I always thought without the injuries he might have been better than ANY of them.
gerizzyYMcrew I was just reminiscing. I thought you might have enough perspective and depth as a human being to appreciate that. Obviously you're shallow and have to be "right." That is what's important to you. {You must be young.} OK then. The 2014 Spurs were the greatest team in the history of team sports {not only basketball.} They rival The Beatles. They rival Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel. They rival Doestoyevsky's work Crime and Punishment. There will be a museum in London some day to celebrate the 2014 San Antonio Spurs.
gerizzyYMcrew I'm 61.
gerizzyYMcrew One more thing. The Spurs got taken 7 games by a "pretty good" {at best} Dallas team last year in the play-offs and I didn't think {despite all the hoopla} Miami was a "great" team. They had no inside presence and Wade is only really able to play and play hard about 60% of his games now. They asked Dave Cowens how he thought those great Celtic teams would do against one of the better NBA teams of today and he said, "I think we'd beat them by 40." I don't think todays Clippers {flawed}, Toronto {are you kidding..........they are a pretty good team at best} are very good, the Indiana Pacers of the last few years who everyone has spoken of as "so good"..........weren't THAT good. I think some of those Bulls teams you mentioned would kill them. I'm not impressed with Oklahoma City as a basketball team. Serge Ibaka? I wonder how he'd do against Dave Cowens or Moses Malone or a 30 year old Kareem or Bob Lanier? {Oh I'm sorry. The great Kendrick Perkins would cover them.} I'm not That impressed with the Trailblazers or even the Bulls. {Derrick Rose can't shoot the ball and Pau Gasol is getting old. It says something about the current NBA that Duncan {at his age} and Gasol are as effective as they are. I'd like to see how Duncan would do against a 28 year old Akeem Olajuwan............I'm not impressed by today's NBA at all.
+kentucy9999 Maybe. It is a real tragedy about Walton's injuries. The late 70's Blazers were a joy to watch as well. Walton was both textbook and creative.
Imagine if Walton and Bird played together closer to Walton's prime? Wow. Just beautiful basketball genius activity.
Wow, amazing video, thank you, these two guys are incredible
Watch this side by side with any nba highlight reel from the last 3 years. Its criminal what the league has become.
It was great to see Walton getting off those dreadful teams and going to the Celtics! Bill and Larry, best passing of all time!
Even the opponent ( Larry smith) warriors pf loved it.. See the smile after the pass thru jbc legs..bird was a basketball gift n his prime
Bird and Walton were so good, they even got Parrish and McHale passing well, to each other, even.
Bill Walton has said how grateful he was to leave the Clippers and play for the Celtics. He's always eloquent and insightful when he discusses playing for the Celtics.
After studying Bill Walton's clips, wow, he was the Center version of Bird. Truly a great. It's a shame we didn't see him healthy, and that sports science wasn't as good as it was back then.
exactly, I had the very same thought, the center version of Bird
Had he been healthy the C's probably repeat in 87..
@@impassable McHale wasan't healthy in 87 either.
@@chrisloesch1870 if McHale is health he blocks the junior sky hook and changes the whole series.
Bill walton could play low post defense : out let rebounding ; larry bird cannot
Very hard to watch 38 years later. And yet very easy to watch as time goes by. Remember bird laying on floor during games as he was trying to play but couldn’t.
RIP Bill 😢 Though you played a stort time in Boston, in New England YOU WILL ALWAYS BE CELTIC!!!!I I am quite sure you will there in spirit has we put number 18 in the rafters. Thank you for all the GREAT MEMORIES BILL
It is so much fun to play ball with some one who thinks exactly like you. It makes the game look effortless!!!
That's why Bird enjoyed playing with DJ, as well.
When Walton played at UCLA he was so good it was almost unfair to the other team.
I don't think people truly appreciate how special Walton was IMO greatest college player ever his year and a half when he was healthy in Portland they were 70-15 before the Injury and the relationship went sour
Bill Walton one of the greatest already took a roll as 6th man to play with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. Need I say more?
Incredible Walton Bird seeing eye to eye with their hands.
1986. What a great year for the art of passing in the NBA shown by the Boston Celtics.
Jason Camp the plays had so much rhythm and flow - amazing to watch to this day.
jjs777fzr Yes they certainly did and watching them today they are really amazing. Great Basketball.
It's a good thing LA didn't play them in the Finals. It would have been a spanking.
Best team ever
Some of the best basketball every played is history that year.
I'm just here to thumb this up again.🤣👍
Bill Walton, such a gentleman.
RIP Bill signed a die Hard Laker Fan! Your skills were legendary in helping the Cs beat my Lakers in ‘84! Fly high! 🙏🙏🕊️🕊️🏀🏀
The NBA was never better than in the 80's.
Smart basketball! So good to watch
Sublime. Those were the days.
Now this is the best pick 'n roll you can have.
It’s not really a pick and roll.. It’s a give and go.. Two man game..
@@jacobjones5269 you have a point
That between the legs pass by Larry Bird was crazy!!!
I wish someone would make a compilation video of Bird's between-the-legs passes.
Are they a common thing in the league?
If Walton had been healthy for two more seasons and Len Bias didn't try drugs, Celtics would have owned the league from 86-89, possibly 90.
The most underrated NBA duo EVER.
I wish they could’ve played more years together. They would’ve 3 peat at least once.
I agree. They were truly magical together.
What a joy to watch. Great passers and team players. I miss the old Celtic fast break and passing basketball with Cousy, Russell , Havelchick, Sanders, Jones. Problem is nowadays everyone does a fast break, and everyone is a lot quicker.
Not really passing is always faster than dribbling and Russells Celtics did not dribble much on fast breaks.
@@73Trident Nor the Bird Celtics
bill walton...simply the greatest!
No way. He was injured his whole career
Kareem might have something to say about that
Walton is truly underrated. He was far quicker then Jabbar or Chamberlain, but he couldn't stay as healthy. A better shooter, a better defensive player, and better passer he just did not build up the same career totals because of injuries.
I agree. If only he could have had good knees and feet. He played his entire career in a lot of pain.
trha2222 it wasn't about how hard he played-he just had really weak bones, and it wasn't just his knees. He has trouble with his knees and his feet and after his career ended he had a spinal fusion. It's a shame, because he had such a desire to play. I watched an interview talking about when his career ended and he almost started crying. He was a very passionate about basketball.
grigsolve Nope. The other Guy was right. Walton played hard. He didn't know anything else.
Dr. Grigsolve I presume?
Walton was a lot of incredible things. But quicker than Wilt Chamberlain? Hell no
Greats like Bill Walton may not have lasted long but while on the court they showed their brilliance. So they still have their place in the sport of all time greats.
Man those guys sure could pass on so many situations
Damned feet. Even when Walton was healthy, we really didn’t know what we had in him. Transcendental player.
This is how great basketball used to be. I miss real basketball.
LOL; You can see the Warrior guy laughing after Bird flips it under his teammate's legs.
Yes that was great, hoped someone else had seen it too.
It was Joe Barry Carroll who Bird flipped it through the legs of. His nickname was "Joe Barely Cares" and you can see why with the effort on that play.
What a team, the 86 Celtics...❤❤❤
the great Bob Cousy announcing...
man, that '86 team was special.
oh, that last play... Bird went thru the legs of Joe Barry Carroll... the man we traded to get Parrish & McHale.
Rest easy, Bill.
Great shooters, great scorers and great athletes permeate today's NBA game. Now add this type of play to the mix. Ratings explosion.
Unstoppable!
As a Portland Fan we had the Two Best Passing Centers in Bill Walton and Arvidas Sabonis until Joker arrived on the scene. But still.
This is why I don't watch to much NBA anymore, you don't see much of this anymore, this is basketball at its best.
So true . . . complete absence of post play and interior passing. Steph's skills are phenomenal, but I get so sick of other players who aren't as good trying to do the same thing and crapping their knickers.
That team had DJ, Bird and Walton. Everyone else on that team knew their roles and they knew that eventually they'd get their rings.
Does any combo do the give and go better than Walton and Bird ?
Best team I ever saw
RIP Bill. What a long, strange trip it’s been!
I went to UCLA during the Walton years …. he was magnificent and I wish he was healthy in the NBA because it is rare to find talent, determination, and intelligence in one player.....
Parish and Bird had some great plays too. They used to run one play where Parish would seemingly set a back screen for Bird but then immediately cut back to the basket and Bird would lob it over everyone to Chief for a wide open dunk. Basically a fake pick.
This is awesome.
RIP Legend
Can only dream of what might have been if they had been able to play more seasons together.
loved bills finger-point/giddyness at 5.27 after that pass
Big Bill Missed more than Half his Games AND STILL made the HOF!!! I was 8 and living in the Portland Metro in Vancouver WA. When the Blazers won in 77. Wasn't quite a Fan yet. That would have to wait until 79.
Bird and Walton were more intelligent than the average NBA player.
True, so was Magic !
Yes, and water is wet...
I miss these two warriors and the way they played the game. Total selfless play for the better of team
/The 85/86 Celts were the most fun team to watch,
And Walton got his ring in 77 with the Blazers and it got a ring in 86 with the Celtics Walton the great player when he was healthy , Bill Walton one of the most unselfish players ever seems like a pretty cool dude to
And had maybe the greatest NCAA Championship game performance ever in UCLA's win over Memphis St. in '73....one of those games where one player is just on another level than anyone around him....opponents or teammates.
Bird and Walton were great.
Walton played 80 games in 86. Most in his career. Imagine a healthy Walton and Bird, both im their prime.
Being from Terre Haute, Indiana Larry Bird will always be my favorite basketball player.