15 best NCAA basketball players we wish played in the Twitter era

15. Best NCAA basketball players before Twitter: Bill Walton, UCLA

Before Bill Walton went on to become a fan favorite broadcaster (or least-favorite, depending on your side in that argument), many will forget he was one of the most exciting and potential-filled basketball players in history.

Walton, coming in at nearly seven-foot and 210 pounds, would’ve been an absolute hit in the social media age (even more than he is now). Walton overcame adversity even before reaching the collegiate level of basketball, fighting through a broken ankle, leg, and several bones in his feet during his high school career in La Mesa, California.

His story gets even crazier than that though — he grew six inches during his sophomore year, before going on to be a constant player alongside his brother, Bruce. The biggest story is Walton’s success even at that level, winning 49 straight games in two years.

Naturally, at the college level Walton, a loyal UCLA fan from birth, starred. He would go on to play for legendary coach John Wooden, one of the best of all time, winning three successive National college player of the year awards from 1972-74 in the midst of an 88-game winning streak.

Though Walton’s professional career was cut short thanks to similar leg injuries, he didn’t leave the game before being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 1974 NBA Draft and leading the Trail Blazers to an NBA Championship with a Finals MVP award just three short years later.

Not only is Walton known for being a passionate player — as we’ve seen recently he’s quite the character, as well. Twitter would’ve loved (or hated) him as much as a player, as it does a broadcaster.