Less than nine months after basketball legend Bill Walton died at age 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer, UCLA school went all-out to embrace one of the distinct personalities in college basketball.

One UCLA legend paid homage to another on Sunday as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke on the impact of Bill Walton. A former Bruins and NBA player and then later a broadcaster for ESPN and the Pac-12 Network,

LOS ANGELES — Between celebrating Bill Walton’s memory and the potential for UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin to earn his 500th career win, anticipation was high. Both lifetime moments were executed, as UCLA honored the late Walton with video tributes and a halftime ceremony; and Cronin earned his 500th victory. But it wasn’t easy.

Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins honored the late legend Bill Walton with a solid 69-61 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday. The win over the Buckeyes marked the 500th win of Cronin’s career. He’s been coaching the Bruins since 2019,