Bill Walton has cringe-worthy moment, references fellow broadcaster's deceased dog

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Basketball legend Bill Walton had an awkward moment recently, when he asked his broadcasting partner for an update on his dead dog.

The University of Arizona was playing against the University of Connecticut in a men's basketball contest Thursday at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz. during the cringe-worthy exchange.

Huskies junior guard Jalen Adams was fighting to get a loose ball from Wildcats freshman forward Deandre Ayton in the second half.

Walton decided to liken the battle for the basketball to a skirmish between domesticated animals.

"Have you ever seen a dog and a cat fight," Walton asked partner Dave Pasch. "Yes," Pasch responded.

"Who wins in your household?" Walton asked. "How is Baxter doing?"

"Uh, he died three years ago," Pasch said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Walton responded.

This isn't the first time an awkward moment occurred regarding a deceased pet on ESPN. Cari Champion was hosting SportsCenter in January when she asked Big Boi about his dog "Halle Berry."

"You got a dog named Halle Berry," Champion asked on the air. "Is she bad or is she boujee?"

"She's dead," Big Boi responded.

Champion apologized for the question, but Big Boi admitted he wasn't attached to the animal.

Walton had a couple more all-time moments during his broadcast Thursday, presenting Pasch with a cactus and examining the 'flat-earth theory' of Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving.

Arizona beat UConn 73-58 to improve to 10-3 on the season.