NBA news: There have been a multitude of eulogies that have been made to honor the late, great Bill Walton after it was confirmed that the Hall of Famer had passed away on Monday after a battle with Cancer.
On Tuesday night, ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley had the opportunity to share their own tributes for the two-time NBA champion.
NBA News: Shaq Drops Honest Confession on Relationship With Bill Walton
For his part, O’Neal admitted that he had an “up and down” relationship with the fallen legend. Shaq confessed that it was his being sensitive and his inability to properly process the criticism Walton threw in his direction that led to their disconnect.
Now that he has the benefit of hindsight, the Los Angeles Lakers icon is able to say whole-heartedly that he’s come to realize that Walton only wanted what was best for O’Neal:
“We definitely lost one of the Four Fathers of The Big Man Alliance,” Shaq said. “… He was hard on me and I’m glad he was hard on me.”
"We definitely lost one of the Four Fathers of The Big Man Alliance."
Shaq pays his respects to Bill Walton pic.twitter.com/SxuPuZuKkz
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 29, 2024
Charles Barkley Delivers Moving Eulogy
Barkley may not have been part of Shaq’s big-man alliance, but this did not prevent the former NBA MVP from delivering a heart-rendering tribute for Walton. Barkley spoke honestly about his experience of being around Walton through the years and how the NBA on TNT host feels that the world just lost a good one:
“I’ve never seen a person who was more joyful to be around,” Barkley said. “… The world is not as good of a place as it was yesterday. The world was better for having Bill Walton in it.”
“The world is not as good of a place as it was yesterday. The world was better for having Bill Walton in it.”
Chuck pays tribute to Bill Walton ♥️ pic.twitter.com/aazo62P8NK
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 29, 2024
For More NBA Content:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @HardwoodHeroics. You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at [email protected]. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest NBA news, click here!
