All through the 70s, a picture was often in magazines of Walton in a college game, his head a couple of inches from the rim. His posture was perfect as usual, straight up and maximizing his altitude. His gaze was thoughtful and looking perpendicular across the rim...his chin wasn't pointed up. This matters because HIS CHIN WAS about an inch ABOVE THE RIM...higher than in that painting.
Operations from possibly politicized Blazer doctors later ruined Walton's leaping ability. Yet as a hobbling Celtic, his stats per minute were still much better than those of starter Robert Parish, considered one of the top centers of the decade.