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Bill Walker

1920 – 2001

American basketball player (born 1920)

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About Bill Walker

Lived 1920 – 2001 (aged 80–81). Bill Walker was an American basketball player.

William J. Walker Jr. (born ) was an American basketball player. He was a native of Queens, New York and played the guard position. Walker played collegiately for the Toledo Rockets from 1948 to 1951. He was known as an excellent dribbler and passer, and was the first officially recorded national season assists leader with his 7.24 per game average during the 1950–51 NCAA men's basketball season. However, Walker's collegiate accomplishments were overshadowed by his involvement in a point shaving scandal during his senior year.

During a game against the Niagara Purple Eagles on December 15, 1950, Walker's Toledo Rockets held a lead of 17 points with three minutes remaining. In the final minutes of the game, the Rockets misdribbled the ball, threw errant passes and only won the game by three points. No charges were formally placed against Walker and his teammates as the state of Ohio had no laws dealing with sports bribery.

Prior to enrolling at Toledo, Walker had served in the United States Navy. Walker graduated from Toledo just six weeks before the accusal; he was 25 years old, was married and had fathered one son at the time. Walker showed remorse for his involvement in the scandal. In a July 29, 1951 issue of The Toledo Blade, he was quoted "In the end all this scandal will help a lot of kids and a lot of schools. My own boy will never make the same mistake I did."

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Important facts

Born
1920, Queens
Birth century
Died
2001
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Toledo
Awards
List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season assists leaders
Also known as
William Walker

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Bill Walker's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Bill Walker?

American basketball player (born 1920)

When was Bill Walker born?

Bill Walker was born in 1920 in Queens.

When did Bill Walker die?

Bill Walker died in 2001.

What was Bill Walker's occupation?

Bill Walker was a basketball player.

What nationality was Bill Walker?

Bill Walker was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Bill Walker

· Wikidata: Q4911263

· DBpedia: Bill Walker (Toledo basketball)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bill Walker. https://biography.guide/bill-walker-basketball-player-1920/

MLA: "Bill Walker." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bill-walker-basketball-player-1920/.

Chicago: "Bill Walker." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bill-walker-basketball-player-1920/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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