THE ZAPPER

John Walters

June 02, 1997

As a color commentator, Bill Walton will be nearly as much a presence during the NBA Finals (beginning this week on NBC) as he was 20 years ago in leading the Portland Trail Blazers to their only NBA title. With his "That's terr-ible!" mantra, Big Bed is as astute, if not as gruff, an analyst as anyone on the air. "How can you ever argue an illegal defense call?" he recently asked in exasperation after one such disputed ruling. "It's a bailout call for the referees!" Walton grates on some viewers, but unlike