Bill Walton and Joe Lunardi: ESPN's Best Rivalry, Best Friends, or Both?
Bill Walton and Joe Lunardi are ESPN's best rivalry. The face of the network's PAC-12 coverage and their premier bracketologist have a feud that goes back a few years which mainly centers around Walton's belief that every PAC-12 team should be in the NCAA tournament. The two squared off again during Thursday's Washington-Arizona State game with Walton calling Lunardi a "troll."
Bill Walton just shredding Lunardi ?. I truly believe he thinks UCLA should be a 3 seed. ?
— Paul Lo Duca (@paulloduca16) March 6, 2020
Joe Lunardi and Bill Walton do not like each other. Taking verbal jabs at each other on live coverage of the ASU/Washington basketball game on ESPN2
— ??FadeMyEnemies?? (@fademyenemies) March 6, 2020
"The Conference of Champions is a historical fact. Did you go to college?" Walton ready to throw hands at Lunardi.
— Perry (@PerryPHXDC) March 6, 2020
Bill Walton to Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi):
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 6, 2020
"What's your name again? Aren't you the guy who bets on fantasy sports?"
Just last week, Walton accused Lunardi of not watching the PAC-12 becuase he doesn't stay up late enough or know how to work a DVR.
Bill Walton calling out Joe Lunardi.
— Reporter Liam ? (@Blutman27) March 1, 2020
The beef continues. pic.twitter.com/M1MtARPhpb
The tweet pinned to the top of Lunardi's Twitter is a video of Walton insulting him.
This might be my favorite clip of all time... https://t.co/2csP8YvJh1
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) December 10, 2019
Here's Walton in 2018.
Bill Walton: “I guarantee Joe Lunardi doesn’t watch Pac-12 basketball. He reads stats and press releases.”
— Chris Kroeger (@Kroeger) February 18, 2018
?????
And here's Walton in 2017 extolling the virtues of PAC-12 country that Lundardi could never understand or appreciate.
Bill Walton was asked about Joe Lunardi not having Cal as a tourney team in Bracketology.
— Seth Sommerfeld (@sethsommerfeld) March 10, 2017
His amazing answer... pic.twitter.com/QXdqj8aLfs
It's unclear just how long ago this rivalry began, but there is a message board post from 2015 that mentions Walton needling Lundardi until he got defensive and sounded annoyed. So what's more likely? Walton, one of the most lovable personalities in basketball history, holding a years-long public grudge or having fun fighting for the conference he loves? You be the judge. Just don't ask Lunardi because it sounds like that guy doesn't know what he's talking about.