K-WALKING THE JOURNEY

summarizing and reflecting on Kemba Walker's basketball career.

After a long and fulfilling career in the world of hoops, Kemba Walker is concluding his career and closing his chapter playing professional basketball. As a young teenager, earning his ranks through the concrete jungle, and becoming one of NYC’s most iconic hoopers of the 2000’s, K-Walk has badged himself as a true undersized killer on the court. As basketball fans, we’ve known Kemba for his shaky handle, the tough finishes, his contagious confidence on the floor, and of course witnessing that remarkable 11 game run at UConn, hitting the breaks and using that signature step back jumper. In simple words, he’s a city kid turned NBA star, Kemba has given us hoopheads a journey worth watching. I’d like to call it a K-WALK.

Life@Rice

Let’s go down memory lane, back to Kemba’s roots as a hooper. NYC is the self-proclaimed mecca of basketball. The history goes deep, and High School hoops partially lead the charge in that label. NYC is known for the city-wide private schools with high profile academics that attract the city’s top level basketball talent. Down in Harlem, New York, just southwest of the Bronx, where Kemba grew up, is Rice High School. An all-boys catholic school rocking the colors yellow and green. Kemba had 3 prominent seasons with Rice winning multiple championships, hitting buzzer beaters against Christ the king, and ultimately ranking 14th nationally and top 2 at his position.

Kemba began his varsity career as a sophomore, waiting patiently to become the leader of the pack at Rice. The high school level is where most NBA players thrive and become a popular name around town. However, the journey to the top isn’t easy when growing up in Basketball central. There's a reason why they call NYC the mecca of hoops. The tri-state area is home to some of the best competition you’ll see, and not just in high school ball, but at the parks, the local gyms, and pretty much anywhere that has a hoop. The competition to be “one of them ones” is likely not to be a successful climb. But of course, someone will make it look like a K-Walk. Get it?  

Kemba shared the court with three future D1 players while stacking up wins and keeping Rice’s reputation standing tall. It eventually became Walker’s time to shine in his final two years as he would dominate every high school atmosphere he was put in. One of Walkers premiere games were against Christ the King, scoring a game high 28 points capping the game off with a buzzer beating 3-pointer to clinch the catholic school’s championship.

Once Kemba became a senior, he would lead Rice to the national spotlight helping the squad rank top 10 as a team. With his high school career coming to an end after committing to the University of Connecticut, and Rice High School closing for good in the near future; Kemba would establish himself as “one of them ones” in NYC hoops culture and become Rice’s final and greatest produced basketball player.

College Years

As a freshman entering UConn, walker had only started twice during the season while posting a couple 20-point performances. Going into his sophomore season, Walker became a full-time starter and became a model of consistency within the program.

Fast forwarding to the 2010-11 season, his junior year as a Husky; he would become the nostalgic icon that many of us college basketball fans reminisce about. In game two of the season, Kemba scored a career high of 42 points against Vermont and continued to go on a scoring rampage against Wichita State, Kentucky, Michigan State, and UMBC in which he had an impressive triple double performance.

Cardiac

Kemba and the crew started the 2011 season well, but they struggled in the Big East going 9-9 in the win-loss column. By the time it became tourney week, the Huskies were wired and prepped for a title run. Beating DePaul by 26 in the first round and defeating Georgetown by 17 in the second round, UConn had a real chance at being number one. And there was no better way for them to prove it then the quarterfinal game against Pittsburgh.

As the game against Pitt was coming down to the wire, you had a sense that Kemba was locked in. After spending 3 years as a Husky, Walker’s maturity progressed, and he found the ability to spread those feelings with his team. Knowing the game was tied up, his teammates wanted him to have the ball; to be the closer. Kemba knew the switches, he then got the switch and attacked. His initial thought was to beat the big to the basket. Instead, he sells his patented crossover, flips the defenders’ hips and uses the defenders’ momentum against him. BOOM! Step back and went CARDIAC.

The significance of this shot in the basketball world is greater than most buzzer beaters we’ve seen. It simply doesn’t get any better than a kid from the Bronx coming back to his city and putting up 24, 5, and 5 in the Garden while also establishing the nickname, Cardiac Kemba. It doesn’t get any more momentous than that. 

The 11 Games in March

UConn gained great momentum going into the March Madness tournament winning 5 games in 5 days. After winning the Big East tournament in the fashion they did, the internal mindset for the team was that there’s little reason why they couldn’t go all the way and add to their resume in March. UConn would go on an 11-game winning stretch taking out some major coaches in college basketball. Jim Boeheim, Rick Patino, John Calipari, and Brad Stevens were all victims of Coach Calhoun and the Huskies takeover. An on-court foe during the west regional semifinal was a future 2-time Finals MVP in Kawhi Leonard. In that game against San Diego State K-Walk put a up 36 points including 8 free throws while contributing to more than half of UConn's points to send the Aztecs home.

The Huskies would make it to the final four. In a hard-fought battle against Brandon Knight and Kentucky, UConn’s clutch defense prevailed leaving Kentucky scoreless for a span of 5 minutes to end the game as Shabazz Napier shot game clinching free throws to push them to the championship final. Kemba was the leader of the pack, but as always, it takes a team effort to win the meaningful matchups. We obviously know Kemba for his eye-popping handle and offensive bag, but UConn struggled mightily in the two final four games. With UConn struggling to hit a shot, they relied heavily on their defense. Walker had his worst game in the postseason, but as we all know, basketball is a team sport and collective effort. Jeremy Lamb and Alex Oriakhi combined for 23 points while the rest of the team made a collective defensive effort to win the national title 53-41 against Butler. After 11 straight wins in 28 days, Cardiac Kemba and the Huskies ended up on top and finished victorious not just for the 2011 season but as one of college basketball’s legendary tales.

Kemba Walker had a telltale story coming out of Rice and going on a legendary run as a Husky in 2011, but for hoopers, you know what the main goal is, the dream rather. It’s to be in the association.

To da League

Coming off a phenomenal 11 game postseason run and spending 3 years at UConn, it’s only right that Kemba enters his name in the draft with the buzz around his name. Coming into the draft, Walker had a great resume behind him with multiple accolades to show for it. Scouts classified his game as a player with explosiveness not just vertically but with his attack, and he’s an electric player in terms of his burst and change of direction. As a 6’1 guard that plays with electricity and can demand his own bucket anywhere on the court, what would you say scouts believe to be the biggest weakness or sway factor for his draft position? Not his defensive effort and engagement, that was there, it was the size. Walker was as skilled as anyone in this draft, but as an undersized guard entering the league, it’s hard to be viewed as a legit top prospect, especially when you have a slightly younger and similarly skilled Kyrie Irving at the top of the draft. Eventually, the Charlotte Bobcats would select Kemba Walker with the 9th overall pick. It was eight spots down from where everyone would like to be, but Kemba ended up being right where he was meant to be.

Prime Years as a Hornet:

Kemba didn’t have the greatest rookie year shooting only 30% from 3 and 36% from the field. That was also the year where the Bobcats marked up the worst record in NBA history at 7-59, so the organization as whole was out of whack and going through a serious rebuilding phase. For Kemba, coming off a historic collegiate career and junior season, the losing built calluses for the future. And as a young player with the leadership, poise, and skill, the flashes were always there. K-Walk has always possessed the traits of a lead guard that can be the face of a franchise. He was bound to become the guy in Charlotte, it was just about patience.

From 2012-2016, K-Walk began inching closer to that 20 point per game mark and gained respect as one of the most difficult guards to clamp down on in the NBA. To pair up with the statistics, he led Charlotte to two postseason appearances and finished 2nd in the MIP voting in 2016.

By the time it was the 2016-17 season, Kemba stamped himself as a legit star in the league making his first ALL-STAR appearance. From then on, Walker played his last 3 seasons as Hornet with an ALL-STAR jersey to his name averaging 23.7 ppg, 5.7 ast, and shooting 37% from the 3-point line. He would also make the ALL-NBA third team in his final season as a Hornet. K-Walk was also an ironman in his final years in Charlotte playing an average of 80.5 games over his final 4 years with the Franchise.

The standalone performance that displays every trait in Kemba’s game would be the 60-point performance against the sixers on November 17th, 2018. The display of moves he gave Philly that day, coming off pin downs, shooting off screens, the pull up jumper after the bag work, the relentlessness towards the hoop, it was god's work form a hooper. And that’s also against a lockdown defender in Jimmy Butler guarding him most of the night. Unfortunately, Butler shot a dagger to squash K-Walks 60-point masterclass. Despite that, Kemba had added another historic performance to his resume. The dedication that he’d show Charlotte through some up and down years while also being a smaller market compared to the New Yorks, Chicago’s, and LA’s of the world would cement him as a beloved North Carolina pro athlete.

On July 6th of 2019, Kemba Walker and the Hornets would work a sign and trade worth $141 million with the Boston Celtics in exchange for Terry Rozier who was on a 3-year $58 million contract. As the 2019 season ended, it was with great foresight that Kemba’s time in Charlotte had to come to an end with hopes of joining a team that would be capable of winning big. Kemba’s time as a Celtic was short and somewhat unfulfilled. Walker did make the all-star game his first year with the franchise but overall, the two years he spent in Boston were filled with injuries and setbacks. His numbers took a slight dip as well, but he was still considered to be a higher tiered point guard in the NBA. Despite the injuries, Kemba was no doubt a great addition to the culture of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics weren’t just in search of a star point guard, but also looking for some added leadership. As a team with a young Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, they needed a push. It wasn’t enough at the time, but look at them now, 2024 champions. So, maybe it was at least something. Maybe the arrival of Kemba Walker in a Celtics jersey was a step to be pushed in the right direction. Everything happens for a reason.

At 31 years old, Kemba was set to become a free agent again after being waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder who traded for him. That summer, the Knicks picked up Kemba on a 2-year $73 million dollar deal. The kid from the Bronx came home. As exciting as this signing was, it didn’t quite replicate the excitement on the court. Kemba was past his prime years and in the back half of his career. The Knicks failed to make the playoffs as well as the play-in games just after being the 4th seed the year before. Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier were poor fits on a team that needed younger players to match their grit and backboned style of play. The season overall was considered a failure. Though, one of the few bright spots for Kemba that season was the Christmas Day triple double. Nothing like putting on a show for your hometown, especially when it takes place in the mecca of basketball.

K-Walks final year in the NBA was just 9 games with the Dallas Mavericks during the 22-23 season. His career was coming to an end in the NBA and the Mavs were looking for any type of spark plug creator off their bench to boost them into the playoffs. Obviously, the pairing wasn’t much, and it marked the end of Kemba’s NBA career. But he had one last chapter to journey through, one last trip outside of the NBA.

Beauté du basket à Monaco (Basketball Beauty in Monaco)

This is Kemba’s concluding chapter, his last hurrah as a pro ball player, at least for now. Being from the Bronx, Kemba saw this as an opportunity to expand his game beyond America and experience something new, not just for himself but for his family as well. He could travel the world. And after spending 12 years in the NBA, finishing a very respectable career with more accolades than the average NBA player, Walker didn’t mind putting his NBA career to rest. He decided to take his talents to Monaco.

K-Walk wanted to take pride in playing on every single level, he played at Rice, then became a Husky, played for the Hornets, the Celtics, and even for his hometown Knicks. Now he has a chance to take his talents overseas. You know, get a feel and learn about hoops outside of America. He would join AS Monaco Basket, the club that represents Monaco in the Euroleague. He also teams up with a talented bucket getter Mike James, who has done his fair share of NBA play.

Overall, Kemba’s time in Monaco seemed to be one of the best basketball decisions he’s ever made. Being in another place can really spark something new for any athlete. His numbers overseas aren’t really anything to look deep into, but the overseas clubs have a different way of managing their squads and Kemba just wasn’t the premiere or prioritized player for the club. AS Monaco would finish as one of the best teams in the euros with a 23 - 11 record.

Retirement

The kid from the Bronx has had a journey of fulfillment, a K-WALK as I would call it. No, not a cake walk but a K-WALK. Kemba was great enough to make multiple all-star appearances, become an All-NBA player, and be considered as one of the best undersized guards of the 2010’s era. But for everyone, father time is undefeated, and the injuries slowed down his career and he was never able to reach the status of a champion. But that is all a testament to Walker’s character. He was never a champion, was a star but not a superstar, he started his career with probably the worst team of all time, let just call it how it was. His career was somewhat of a rollercoaster. The ups of being a premier point guard in the NBA but the down points of dealing with injuries and the losing seasons. But Kemba was a player with authenticity and class, he never complained or downplayed his team, at least to the eyes of the fans. He held his reputation high and is respected all over the league and understood the concept of learning and leaving things where they’re at. Controlling only what he could control. From an outsider’s perspective, we are seeing the Kid from the Bronx become at peace with his playing career.

Is he a Hall of Famer, its rangy. Again, he’s had a rollercoaster of a career. But I’m confident to say that he was good enough for this Hall of fame discussion to be at the least subjective. There are reasons for him to be in, and not enough reasons to be sure about it. What is definite though, is he’s no doubt a concrete pillar for NYC hoops.

It was a K-Walk Kemba, thank you for the crossovers, the bag of tricks, the essential performances, the toughness, the college run, and the great vibes on and off the floor. Your number will be in spectrum center rafters, no doubt about that either. We’ll see him with Charles Lee’s coaching staff next season, yet another chapter waiting to be written. I am sure it was a dream for you Kemba, for us; it was for sure a K-WALK.