NBA Hall of Fame Member Passes Away At 84

Hall of Fame forward Chet Walker, a seven-time All Star who was known as “the jet” due to his speed, has passed away at the age of 84, the National Basketball Players Association announced on Saturday.

A Mississippi native, Walker went to high school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, before attending Bradley University, where he was a two-time All-American and helped his team win the 1960 NIT championship.

Walker was then drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in 1962 and remained with the club when it moved to Philadelphia and became the 76ers. He was part of the 1966-67 Sixers team that won a then-record 68 games in the regular season and went on to end an eight-year championship streak of the Boston Celtics.

Walker averaged 19.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game that season on a team that included a number of legends, including Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham and Hal Greer.

In 1969, the 76ers traded Walker to the Chicago Bulls, where he continued his success. The seven-time All Star was an integral part of some of the franchise’s earliest teams, which featured Bob Love, Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier.

The Bulls revealed their first Ring of Honor earlier this year and Walker was included as a member. He was honored as a team legend alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Phil Jackson, Phil Jackson, Artis Gilmore, Johnny Kerr, Dick Klein, Jerry Krause, Toni Kukoc, Tex Winter, Love and Sloan.

“His skill, dedication and contributions to the game made a lasting impact on the sport of basketball and the city of Chicago,” the organization said in a statement on Saturday night. “Chet Walker will forever be remembered as a true Chicago Bulls icon.”

Walker was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.