Former USC Trojans big man Chevez Goodwin got in on the Bill Walton tributes this week by sharing a sweet text exchange between himself and the former UCLA center.
today is a sad day for me … i lost great mentor and friend in Bill Walton …Thank you for your mentorship and inspiration. one of the greatest to ever do it ! Rest well my friend !After leading the Bruins to a pair of consecutive NCAA championships under John Wooden in 1972 and '73, Walton went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame pro career with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers and finally the Boston Celtics. He passed away after a battle with colon cancer earlier this week.
The 6-foot-11 big man was much venerated in the basketball world, beloved for his unique hippy personality and ability to put on a brave face when dealing with major adversity . It's fascinating — and perhaps not so surprising — to see that the man perhaps best remembered for saying, "Throw it down, big man!" during innumerable Pac-12 Network broadcasts served as a mentor to other Pac-12 big men, including Goodwin.
After stints at the College of Charleston and Wofford, the 6-foot-9 big man transferred to Andy Enfield's Trojans from 2020-22. He averaged 11 points on 57 percent field goal shooting, 6.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.5 blocks per game across 34 contests during his senior season in 2021-22. Goodwin went undrafted that subsequent summer, and went on to play for Aris Thessaloniki in Greece during the 2022-23 season, for whom he was named a Greek League All-Star.