Bill Walton missed Pac-12 game call due to health issue: Reports

Two-time NBA champion and long-term PAC-12 championship commentator Bill Walton recently missed the championship game between the USC Trojans and Arizona Wildcats due to a reported health issue. The 71-year-old has missed several games in the ongoing PAC-12 season and has reportedly struggled with his mental health.

While details about the extent and the other details related to the issue are currently unknown, Awful Announcing reported that the same issue has been the reason behind his recent absences.

The NBA Hall of Famer has been associated with ESPN since 2002 and missed the recent game between Arizona and Arizona State in February as well. Walton is now confirmed to be unavailable for a scheduled episode of the 'Throw It Down with Bill Walton' NBA show as well, which is set to be postponed.

Walton’s absence meant that his long-term network partner Dave Pasch called the game with Sean Farnham instead. ESPN has till now declined to comment on the matter, with further details set to be released in due time.

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Bill Walton was scheduled to appear alongside Jason Benetti in two episodes of the Throw it Down show. The first one had already been scheduled for March 11 for the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers game. However, Walton’s condition meant that the duo is now looking forward to filming it on March 25, for the Indiana Pacers – Los Angeles Clippers game.

As a result of his health, Bill Walton has had to tone down his broadcasting schedule in general. Splitting time between analysis for ESPN and the PAC-12 network, he called games on Dec. 22, Jan. 4, Jan. 13, Jan. 27, Jan. 29, and Feb. 1.

However, since then, his continued absence has meant that Dave Pasch has instead been paired with names such as Cory Alexander, Josh Pastner, Richard Jefferson, and Farnham. With Bill Walton missing the final Pac-12 regular season-finale, it means that the iconic duo (Pasch and Walton) will not be seen together on air this season.

Bill Walton has been the voice of the Pac-12 Conference for years

Walton has been synonymous with the Pac-12 ‘Championship of Champions’ since years but has had to take personal time in recent months. The February 28th game saw Walton being replaced by Matt Muehlebach for the Arizona vs. Arizona State game. According to Awful Announcing, he had been confirmed to be on call until two days before the match:

Two days before that Arizona-ASU game, Arizona State Associate AD Doug Tammaro posted on X that Walton would be “on the call.” However, on the day of the game, he shared that they “had to go to the bullpen today” for Muehlbach, adding “Get well soon Bill Walton!”

Regardless, currently, there seem to be no reported indication that Walton is struggling from any long-term issue. He was included in ESPN’s announcer’s guide released last week and is expected to return to the air in the near future. The 72-year-old has a commendable NBA legacy as a 2-time NBA All-Star Center.

He won two NBA championships, one each with the Clippers and the Boston Celtics, and was also the Finals MVP in 1977. Walton was a menace on both ends of the court and 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game in a career that spanned 13 seasons.

However, since retirement, Walton has had an incredibly successful career both as a studio analyst and color commentator. He won the Emmy award for best live sports television broadcast back in 1991.