Sportscaster Jim Gray opens up about Bill Walton’s death in an email to Fox News Digital, calling the late Hall of Famer his « best friend » and himself the « luckiest man in the world. »
The sports world lost an icon on Monday as basketball Hall of Famer-turned-analyst Bill Walton died of cancer at age 71.
Walton was loved by many, especially former colleague Jim Gray, who worked with Walton for several networks, and the two shared a friendship for 40 years.
« My heart is broken. Bill Walton was the best friend a guy could ever have, » Gray sent in an email to Fox News Digital. « He was loving, generous, kind, caring, intelligent, and so much fun. He loved life, his family, basketball, and most of all, people. I always marveled at how he had time for everyone and was never in a hurry. Bill was a national treasure and brought joy to the world. »
« For 40 years, every time we were together, we would laugh, » he wrote. « He was a library of knowledge and a fountain of wisdom. Broadcasting games together at CBS, NBC, ESPN, ABC, Westwood One, and the [Sacramento] Kings was a strange and wonderful journey. I’m grateful for all the years with Bill. It was the blessing of a lifetime. He will be in my heart forever.
