The game won’t be the same without Kemba!
A national champion with the UConn Huskies and named to the NBA All-Star team four times, Kemba Walker announced he is retiring from the game of basketball. He made the news known in a Tuesday social media post.
“I know I couldn’t have made it to this point without my incredible support system around me,” said Walker in a statement. “There are so many people to thank — my mom, dad and entire family, my teammates who have become family, and the coaches who believed in me and brought out the best in me.”
Walker was selected by the then-Charlotte Bobcats with the No. 9 overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft after winning a national championship with the Huskies. (RELATED: Donovan Mitchell Cashes In With 3-Year, $150.3 Million Contract Extension With Cleveland Cavaliers: REPORT)
The 34-year-old’s best season came in 2018-19 while in Charlotte, averaging a career-high 25.6 points-per-game. He was named to the All-NBA third team that season. To this day, Walker is still the all-time scoring leader in Hornets franchise history.
Walker was later sent to the Boston Celtics in a sign-and-trade deal, however, injuries started to contribute to his decline. He went on to also play for the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.
Throughout his entire career, Walker averaged a stat line of 19.3 points-per-game, 5.3 assists-per-game and 3.8 rebounds-per-game.
Thank you, basketball. pic.twitter.com/gLUbQnZMP5
— Kemba Walker (@KembaWalker) July 2, 2024
As some of y’all know, the Queen City is some of my former stomping grounds before I eventually settled down here in Florida. I’ve been to a couple of Charlotte games to see Kemba play and I’ve always been a fan.
It’s definitely sad to see him go, ain’t no telling when we’ll have another Kemba — if ever.
