Former Celtics All-Star Kemba Walker Addresses Retirement
Two-year Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker officially announced his retirement from the NBA, ending a 12-year career that made its way overseas for a final season with AS Monaco in the EuroLeague.
The 34-year-old once-UConn standout entered the NBA as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2011 draft, selected by the then-Charlotte Bobcats. Walker was fresh off leading the Huskies to an NCAA title victory over Butler and overcame the improbable reality of being a 6-foot guard; most notably by becoming Charlotte’s all-time leading scorer with 12,009 points, surpassing previous leader Dell Curry (9,839 points).
“Just because of a small ball like, (it) really excelled me in life. Unbelievable,” Walker said on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast.
Walker continued: “I’m done playing. It was a hell of a run. It was a run that I still can’t fathom today. I still can’t believe the things I’ve done in my basketball career, especially with all the doubt that I got coming in.”
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The inevitable doubt of being an undersized NBA guard hovered over Walker throughout his playing career. He first became an All-Star in 2016-17, and received that nod for the next three consecutive seasons, averaging 23.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 43.5% shooting from the floor over the course of that span.
In the summer of 2019, Walker’s arrival in Boston came at a perfect time. It allowed him to leave a dumpster fire Hornets franchise in shambles and (finally) seek a landing spot with a contender — courtesy of a sign-and-trade agreement. The Celtics, recovering from their dramatic Kyrie Irving breakup, welcomed Walker with open arms and an enticing four-year, $141 million contract to make him the team’s starting point guard.
Walker lasted another two seasons after Boston traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the summer of 2021, playing for the New York Knicks (for 37 games) and the Dallas Mavericks (for nine games).
“It’s like a dream still, bro. It’s like a dream. It’s like a dream,” Walker explained. “I can’t even believe it, bro. Being in The Bronx, next thing you know I’m in Charlotte, I live in Charlotte now. It’s crazy. Dream.”