Dave Pasch pays heartfelt homage to broadcast partner Bill Walton

ESPN analyst Bill Walton (left) and play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dave Pasch pays heartfelt homage to longtime broadcast partner Bill Walton

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated May 27, 2024 4:31 PM ET

There has been no shortage of emotional outpouring and tributes in the wake of Bill Walton's passing. One of the most heartfelt and heartbreaking has been, without a doubt, from Dave Pasch.

The longtime ESPN announcer, who broadcasted games alongside Walton for over a decade, spoke to the network on Monday about his incredible bond with the late great basketball Hall of Famer.

"He'd take the headset off during a commercial break and just say to me, 'I love you, but don't tell anybody," Pasch told SportsCenter. "I think he enjoyed the fact that I was his sparring partner and that he could have fun with me and just take shots at me and that I knew it was all part of the game."

"I love you, but don't tell anybody."

Bill Walton's longtime broadcast partner @DavePasch reflects on one of his favorite memories of his friend ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zcBDQHlBOp
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 27, 2024

There was no shortage of shenanigans when Pasch called basketball games alongside Walton. High notes from their broadcasts together included Walton bringing Pasch odd gifts, changing his t-shirt mid-broadcast and, quite famously, eating a lit candle on live TV.

The No. 1 pick in the 1974 NBA Draft and 1993 Hall of Fame inductee started his broadcasting career in 2002 as a pro basketball analyst for ESPN and ABC. Pasch joined ESPN the following year and the duo went on to be a regular fixture calling college basketball games.

Walton, a two-time NCAA champion with the UCLA Bruins and two-time NBA champion, passed away following a long battle with cancer. He was 71 years old.

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