Getty LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: Rex Kalamian (L) and Bill Walton attend the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
With his playing days well behind him, the free-spirited Bill Walton has made a name for himself in the broadcast booth for his incredibly unique takes and long-winded rants. In a late night matchup between Oregon and Utah, Walton was on the mic when he went into a lengthy explanation of how Winnie the Pooh has worked his way into Bill’s basketball vernacular.
Bill Walton Winnie the Pooh Rant
“The honey hole is a long time basketball phrase, where it is right at the free throw line area. That’s where the honey is, right? We were talking about Winnie the Pooh, it all rolls into one, right? You’re looking for the honey. You like honey, right? So you get to the honey hole and good things happen and when you’re playing against the zone defense or playing any kind of basketball you want to get to the free throw line, the honey hole, so that’s what’s going to set up your offensive attack.”
To which broadcast partner Dave Pasch simply replied, “Just wanted you to explain it, didn’t know it was going to take a minute…”
Twitter Reaction to Bill Walton’s Winnie the Pooh Rant
Naturally, Twitter lit up when Walton went on his rant and people had a wide range of takes on how it went over. Especially considering the low score of the game, Walton’s commentary was front and center and had already drawn considerable traction in the Twitter-sphere.
Some fans simply laughed at Walton and found him to be absolutely hilarious.
Oh yeah, Bill was also quacking on national TV after big plays for Oregon!
Others noted how Walton’s obscure storytelling mixed with the fact that neither team could consistently score baskets during the first half made for some bad television.
Bill Walton talking about Winnie the Pooh. This is all on national tv, they televise this stuff I guess. Neither team has broken 20 points. Played 16 mins. What a riot.
Some fans felt that Walton’s antics were must-watch TV and keeping people up well into the night.
Of course, the honey hole Winnie the Pooh gifs made an appearance.
Wincent would appreciate it if Bill would correctly pronounce his name.
@MegV44 Winnie the Pooh? What is this amateur hour? He’s a mature adult now and prefers to go by his government name… Wincent the Poop.
Don’t worry though, Bill Walton isn’t having a stroke, this is pretty par for the course.
Bill Walton is literally making no sense right now im worried he might be have a stroke
Walton would also go on to wish Albert Einstein a happy birthday as well as talk a bit about the wonders of Death Valley among many other topics. A polarizing personality on the mic, Walton’s commentary isn’t for everyone but his ability to generate at least general interest in the game cannot be denied.