76ers suffer heartbreaking event as franchise legend passes away

Former Philadelphia 76ers small forward Chet Walker passed away on Saturday at the age of 84 after a long battle with illness. Walker spent seven seasons with the franchise and continued his distinguished career with the Chicago Bulls before retiring in 1975.

Walker’s seven seasons with the 76ers rank among the best tenures in all of team history.

Drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in the second round in 1962, Walker was a part of the 76ers’ first years in Philadelphia after the team moved following his rookie season. He was a three time All-Star and helped lead the team to their first NBA championship in 1967 alongside Billy Cunningham, Hal Greer, and Wilt Chamberlain.

That team is often referred to as one of the greatest squads in NBA history. During the 76ers’ title run in 1967, Walker had his best season with the team, averaging 19.3 points per game to go along with 8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. In the postseason, he improved his average to 21.7 points per game while shooting an impressive 81% from the free throw line.

Even though Walker got his start in Philadelphia and had a great run with the team, his best years statistically came in Chicago from 1969 to 1975. The 76ers traded him to the Bulls along with backup forward Shalier Halimon for Jim Washington and a player to be named later. In Chicago, Walker racked up four more All-Star appearances and averaged 20.6 points per game, which was an increase of over four points from his time in Philadelphia. Despite these accolades, Walker was unable to win a championship in Chicago despite forming a dynamic scoring duo with Bob Love.

Walker retired following the 1975 season after 13 seasons in the NBA. He never missed the playoffs in his career and was among one of the most durable players of his generation. Walker played over 1,000 games in his career, and never missed more than six in a single season and suited up in every single playoff game that his team appeared in.

Not only did Chet Walker have an impressive career on the court, he also found a lot of success outside the game.

Walker went on to have a successful career as a TV movie producer and an author. His book,  Long Time Coming: A Black Athlete's Coming-of-Age in America, was released in 1995 to critical acclaim. The name of that book perfectly describes his Hall of Fame candidacy as he was finally inducted in 2012 to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. In addition to his Hall of Fame induction, Walker was recently inducted into the inaugural Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor class alongside franchise greats such as Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and Scottie Pippen.

The passing of Chet Walker at the age of 84 is the end of an era, but his contributions to the game of basketball and society will live on forever.