Monday was a sad day for basketball fans and media alike with the death of legendary NBA player and broadcaster Bill Walton, especially for those who knew him well, like longtime on-air partner Dave Pasch.
The two had been calling college basketball games alongside one another since 2013 and became well-known for their on-air antics with one another, which often drew plenty of laughs from viewers.
“Bill and I had a special friendship,” Pasch said during a “SportsCenter” interview Monday. “He used to tell me a lot, he would take the headset off during a commercial break and just say to me, ‘I love you, but don’t tell anybody.’ He just enjoyed the fact that I was his sparring partner and that he could have fun with me and just take shots at me.
“I knew that it was all just part of the game, and off the air we had a great friendship. Bill paid for every meal. I remember the last game I had with Bill was Feb. 1 at USC. It was rare it was just the two of us. … We were talking a lot about the future. It was just a conversation I’ll never forget.”
Walton died from cancer his family announced on Monday. He was 71 years old.
He had a standout 10-year basketball career that included stops with the Trail Blazers, Clippers and Celtics.
Walton moved over to the broadcast booth with time at CBS, NBC and ESPN, where he began working Pasch as an analyst on Pac-12 broadcasts.
Walton was most remembered for his funny and bizarre moments that often had little to do with what was happening on the court.
“There will never be another Bill. Love you & miss you my friend,” Pasch wrote on X alongside a picture of himself with Walton during a broadcast.
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