Kemba Walker, a champion at UConn and a four-time All-Star within the NBA, introduced his retirement on social media Tuesday.
“I do know I could not have made it so far with out my unimaginable assist system round me,” Walker stated in his assertion. “There are such a lot of folks to thank — my mother, dad and full household, my teammates who’ve grow to be household, and the coaches who believed in me and introduced out the very best in me.”
Walker, 34, was drafted No. 9 total by the then-Charlotte Bobcats within the 2011 NBA draft after main UConn to a nationwide championship that spring.
Walker improved steadily in Charlotte earlier than breaking out as an All-Star in 2016-17. He was an All-Star once more in every of the subsequent two years, together with his finest season coming in 2018-19 as he averaged a career-best 25.6 factors per recreation and was named to the All-NBA third workforce.
Thanks, basketball. pic.twitter.com/gLUbQnZMP5
— Kemba Walker (@KembaWalker) July 2, 2024
Walker stays the Hornets’ all-time franchise chief in factors.
Contemporary off his third straight All-Star recreation, Walker agreed to a contract with the Boston Celtics that summer season and finally was moved there in a sign-and-trade deal. Walker made one other All-Star recreation that 12 months with Boston, however accidents began to catch as much as the guard.
He gained the one two playoff sequence of his profession with Boston in 2020 however the Celtics finally fell to the Miami Warmth within the convention finals within the Bubble in Orlando.
The next season, Walker solely performed in 43 of a attainable 72 video games. In his first eight seasons, Walker missed a complete of 35 video games. In his two years with Boston, accidents compelled him to overlook 45 video games.
Boston dealt Walker to Oklahoma Metropolis in the summertime of 2021 and the Thunder finally purchased out Walker’s contract, permitting him to signal with the New York Knicks. In 37 video games with the Knicks, Walker averaged 11.6 factors and three.5 assists, however damage issues continued and he performed his last recreation with the franchise on Feb. 16, 2022.
Walker was traded to the Detroit Pistons within the offseason and was as soon as once more purchased out of his deal. He performed 9 video games with Dallas in 2022-23 earlier than the workforce waived him in January.
Walker spent final season enjoying sparingly with AS Monaco within the French League earlier than saying his retirement.
Previous to his NBA profession, Walker constructed up a status as a big-game participant in main the Huskies to a nationwide championship. Walker had all-time performances within the 2011 Massive East match — when the workforce gained 5 video games in 5 days to safe the convention championship — and the NCAA match — when he earned Most Excellent Participant.
Walker was a consensus first-team All-American that season and the Bob Cousy Award winner for the very best level guard within the nation.
Walker ended his NBA profession because the Hornets’ all-time chief in factors, 3-pointers, win shares and minutes performed and can be high 10 in franchise historical past in assists (second), steals (third), video games performed (third) and rebounds (eighth).