RIP: Neal Walk (1948-2015)

[FArting]

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/651066312110788608

 

[Ronin]

RIP.:-(

 

[devilalum]

Poor guy had a lot of Demons.

 

[TRW]

Walk was a victim of very, very unusual circumstance. He didn't flip the coin or have any hand in the decision, yet he was vilified, at times, by the fickle Phoenix fans. I remember him well, not as the consolation of a coin flip, but an instrumental player in the very early success of the Suns franchise.

He was not a great center but he was a very, very good one for a few years here. Good rebounder, good passer and had a nice shooting touch around the basket.

R.I.P. Neal. You were one of the guys who helped the Suns become relevant very quickly in those magical early days. Thanks for the memories big fella.

 

[Mainstreet]

Thanks for your contribution Neal Walk. Rest in Peace.

 

[BC867]

Here are some facts about Neal, as recapped by Wikipedia.

Walk was drafted in the first round (second pick overall) of the 1969 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, after they lost a coin toss with the Milwaukee Bucks for the number one pick, which turned out to be Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

He played for the Suns from 1969 to 1974, was traded to the then New Orleans Jazz, and subsequently traded to the New York Knicks, where he played for two seasons. Afterward, he went to play in Venice, Italy, then in Israel with Hapoel Ramat Gan.

In 1988 it was discovered that Walk had a benign tumor enveloping his spine. Following surgery Walk was left in a wheelchair, from which he played wheelchair basketball for the L.A.-Phoenix Samaritans in the Southern California league of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.

In 1990 Walk was honored at the White House by U.S. President George H. W. Bush, as the "Wheelchair Athlete of The Year." He later worked for the Phoenix Suns in the Community Affairs department.

Walk is in the Miami Beach Senior High School Hall of Fame, a "Gator Great" in the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Walk

Neal was a good Sun, a good guy and a good member of our community. Condolences to his family.

 

[Raindog]

Agree with all of the above. Neal was one of the great "early" Suns. I was always sorry to hear of the health misfortunes he had after his playing days, but glad that he was able to remain part of the Suns family in his later days. RIP.

 

[AZCrazy]

The first ever Phoenix Sun. Thanks for your contributions to the community, and Rest In Peace.

 

[BC867]

The first ever Phoenix Sun. Thanks for your contributions to the community, and Rest In Peace.

I am sure Neal would have wanted the record set straight.

All of the players selected by the Suns in the expansion draft, led by Dick VanArsdale and Gail Goodrich, preceded Neal, who was drafted after we lost the coin flip for Lew Alcindor following our first season.

Still, with them and The Hawk, Neal was in good company in building our early foundation.