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Bill Walton went too far on ESPN’s National Pac-12 Tournament coverage

By Shereen Rayan

Feb 24, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; American retired basketball player and current Pac 12 Networks analyst Bill Walton interviews a college athlete prior to the game between the Arizona Wildcats against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 24, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; American retired basketball player and current Pac 12 Networks analyst Bill Walton interviews a college athlete prior to the game between the Arizona Wildcats against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bill Walton went way too far on Friday night during the Pac-12 semi-final tournament game when talking about Allonzo Trier.

Come on Bill! You are the father of one of the most famous Arizona Basketball Alumni in the NBA, and you went on National television and basically slandered Allonzo Trier as he was having one of the best games of his collegiate career. On top of that, Magic Johnson was there watching BOTH teams and he is Luke’s boss.

We get it, you are a Bruin, but to go to that extreme and basically call the Arizona Basketball program a liar regarding what happened to Allonzo in the off-season to cause the NCAA to suspend him for 19 games is just irresponsible and damning.

People listen to you, most like you and respect you and your zest for life. Arizona Wildcats are not different; more fans enjoy listening to you than don’t. Some Wildcats fans feel you are too much to take, but we all understand you know your basketball.

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Allonzo, as far as everyone has said officially, and as your co-host Dave Pasch confirmed, was in a car accident over the summer and was administered or given some medicine that had steroids in it, or something banned. The Wildcats had to wait until the stuff was totally out of his system. Do you really think the NCAA would have ever let Allonzo play again if they actually thought he was taking steroids for performance purposes?

Trier appealed the NCAA’s decision and won the appeal. Deadspin writer Nick Martin  said it best, “The only silver lining here is knowing Trier is sitting as a result of the NCAA having its head shoved up its ass, and not something of real concern.”

Maybe the conversation should be about the drugs allowed and not allowed, and not condemning a student to this kind of judgment?

If we are being are honest, I don’t know the truth. All I know is that the truth is somewhere between all the stories you hear. But if you don’t now for certain, I mean 100 percent proof, you should not go on National TV and slander a  21-year old college sophomore. Even Dave Pasch told Walton that the story was confirmed, and this was his response (yes, he really said this):

https://twitter.com/SamanthaCortese/status/840595341116297216

In an era with ‘alternate facts’ and ‘fake news,’ I would hope sports reporting and announcing could stay clear and keep the students best interest in mind. ALL OF THE STUDENTS, not just the Bruins. Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf deserve lots of love from broadcasters, and they are great players. That said, Allonzo had a great game, and instead of pouring on the love, Walton went to prison talk, almost bordering on slander.

Walton doubled down during the Oregon game.

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Let’s go by this rule of thumb: if you don’t have the facts and if you don’t really know the truth, then please, please, when it comes to a student-athlete and his future in the NBA, don’t make it harder for him. I hope Bill takes it back tonight or at some point, it was uncalled for, and just as some Wildcats fans started to enjoy him a bit.

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