Second-greatest player in the history of each NBA franchise
Portland Trail Blazers: Bill Walton
Greatest Player: Clyde Drexler
The career of Bill Walton is a mixture of both highs and lows that contribute to his great but untimely tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers that didn’t last as long as it should’ve.
Walton was an NCAA legend after four stellar years at UCLA, rendering him the consensus best player in the 1974 Draft and thus the top overall selection by the Trail Blazers.
His first two seasons were an impressive display of all-around brilliance with combined averages of 14.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. It was the following two that helped eventually earn his spot in the Hall of Fame.
In leading the league in both rebounds and blocks per game, Walton made his first All-Star appearance and led Portland to its first NBA Finals. Once there, Walton’s 18.5 points, 19.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.7 blocks helped him secure the Finals MVP trophy and the first championship in Blazers history.
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Bill Walton's number 32 was put in the rafters by the Portland Trail Blazers on this day in 1989. pic.twitter.com/LFMCFl0MB8
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) November 3, 2018
The following year saw Walton’s elite numbers remain steady, and nine extra wins for the defending champs earned him his only MVP trophy.
As amazing as Walton’s first four NBA seasons were, he never played in more than 65 games a year. After having his MVP season cut short, he demanded a trade due to the negligence of Portland’s treatment of his injuries.
Portland didn’t budge so Walton sat out the year. Upon entering free agency, he signed with the Clippers but would never be the same, and his career has been a what-if ever since.