Former UConn center breaks NBA record previously held by Hall of Fame legend

If you’re mentioned in the same breath as Bill Walton, life is going well for you.

That’s exactly the case for former UConn Huskies and current Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan.

Friday marked Clingan’s 16th straight game with a blocked shot, as the 20-year-old center suffered a pair of interceptions in a loss to the Houston Rockets. Those 16 games also happened to be the first 16 of Clingan’s NBA career.

Clingan now holds the Trail Blazers’ rookie record for consecutive games with a block, surpassing the late, great Walton record of 15 consecutive games with a rejection in the 1974-75 season.

Clingan increased the record with another three-block game on Saturday (a win over Houston), extending his streak to 17 games.

Being included in a statistical category related to Walton is a great honor for Clingan.

Walton’s time in Portland was nothing short of legendary. The Hall of Fame center was drafted by Portland out of UCLA and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. In just his third NBA season, Walton led the league in rebounding and blocks, earning an All-Star selection, an NBA championship and the NBA Finals MVP trophy.

Walton followed with NBA MVP honors the following season (1977-78), his last with Portland.

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