According to Jack Maloney of CBS Sports on Sunday, Basketball Hall of Famer Chet Walker of Bethlehem, Mississippi passed away on Saturday at the age of 84 of a long-term illness. Walker was a small forward in the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons from 1962 to 1975.
Walker was with the Syracuse Nationals in 1962-63, the Philadelphia 76ers from 1963 to 1969, and the Chicago Bulls from 1969 to 1975. He was an All-Star three times with the 76ers (1963-64, 1965-66, and 1966-67), and four times with the Chicago Bulls (1969-70, 1970-71, 1972-73, and 1973-74).
In 1032 NBA regular season games, Walker averaged 18.2 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game. He had a field goal percentage of .470 and a free throw percentage of .796. In 1963-64 with the 76ers, Walker averaged a double-double, as he had 17.3 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game. He also had a free throw percentage of .859 while with the Bulls in 1970-71, which led the NBA that season.
While in the postseason, Walker also had a significant impact. In 105 playoff games, he averaged 18.2 points per game, seven rebounds per game, and two assists per game. Walker’s playoff averages were eerily similar to his playoff statistics. While with the Nationals as a rookie, he led all playoff performers in field goal percentage (.509), and won the NBA Finals with the 76ers in 1967.
Walker was a teammate of Wilt Chamberlain in 1967. Chamberlain is considered the second best player of all-time. In the 1967 NBA Finals, the 76ers defeated the San Francisco Warriors in six games. During the Finals, Walker had a huge impact, as he averaged 23.3 points per game.
At the university level, Walker played for Bradley University. He was a second round pick, 12th overall, by the Nationals in the 1962 NBA Draft. He was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
