Happy birthday to the late, great Bill Walton!
Walton was one of the greatest college basketball players ever, winning two NCAA titles, two AP Player of the Year awards, three Naismith Player of the Year awards and two NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards at UCLA. He also seemed destined for a Hall of Fame NBA career with the Portland Trailblazers, making back-to-back first-team All-Defense in his third and fourth seasons and being named Finals MVP in 1976-77 and NBA MVP in 1977-78.
But injuries derailed the rest of his career, and while he was able to win Sixth Man of the Year in 1985-85 with the Boston Celtics en route to his second title, he retired after logging just six seasons with more than 50 games played.
After his playing days, he became one of the most beloved characters in the world of basketball broadcasting. He was known for his passion for the game of basketball and the Pac-12, which he always referred to as the “Conference of Champions.” He was also known for his tie-dye shirts, philosophical musings and meandering story-telling that frequently featured in his broadcasts.
Walton passed away in 2024 at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer.
Which brings us to today’s quiz. The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men’s and women’s collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball (in 1891), Dr. James Naismith.
Can you name every men’s college basketball player who has won the Naismith Award?
Good luck!
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