BRONX, N.Y. — Prolific NBA point guard and UConn men's basketball legend Kemba Walker, 34, announced his retirement from professional basketball on Tuesday afternoon.
Walker, a four-time NBA All-Star, played eight seasons with Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets from 2011-2019, two seasons with the Boston Celtics from 2019-2021, one season with the New York Knicks in 2021-22 and one season with the Dallas Mavericks in 2022-2023 before playing with AS Monaco of the Euroleague last season. He is Charlotte’s all-time leading scorer.
The six-foot, 184-lbs point guard from the Bronx, N.Y. rose to national prominence as a standout player for Rice High School in Harlem, N.Y. As a high school senior, he was named to the McDonald’s All-American team. During the McDonald’s All-American game, Walker threw down a poster dunk on future multi-time NBA All-Star and First Team All-NBA Defender Jrue Holiday.
Walker’s high school career earned him a full scholarship to the University of Connecticut to play under Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun in Storrs. Walker was explosive out of the gate as a Husky and helped lead the team to the Final Four as freshman, scoring a team-high 23 points against Missouri in the 2009 Elite Eight.
After an up-and-down sophomore year in which the team missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007, Walker spent the summer of 2010 improving on campus and returned for the next season as a bonafide superstar.
After scoring 42 points in an early season victory over Vermont, Walker turned his attention to the Maui Invitational Tournament in November 2010, where he led UConn to shocking victories over Wichita State and top-10 opponents Michigan State and Kentucky while averaging 30 points per game. Kemba was tournament MVP, and UConn vaulted from unranked to the top 10 the following week.
After rising to as high as No. 4 in the country, UConn struggled in the Big East, finishing tied for ninth at 9-9 in conference play. The difficult stretch of conference games didn’t deter Walker who saved some of the best basketball of his career for the 2011 Big East Tournament in New York City.
In five days, Walker led UConn to an unprecedented five victories, including wins over top-25 opponents Georgetown, Pittsburg, Syracuse and Louisville. He averaged 26 points per game over the course of the five games and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The run was highlighted “Cardiac Kemba’s” buzzer beater over No. 3 Pittsburg in the quarterfinal.
Walker wasn’t done yet, however. UConn earned a No. 3 seed entering March Madness, and the magical run continued. Walker performed outstanding against Bucknell and Cincinnati to lead the team to the Sweet 16, where he had his best performance of the NCAA Tournament with 36 points against No. 2 seed San Diego State. Two days later, Walker helped UConn defeat Arizona, and Walker returned to the Final Four.
After a one-point victory over Kentucky, UConn defeated Butler by 12 points in the national championship, securing UConn’s third national title. Kemba’s dynamic season earned him First Team All-American honors and the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best point guard. Walker’s draft stock rose as well, and he was selected ninth overall by the Charlotte Bobcats.
While winning was hard to come by in Charlotte, Walker established himself as one of the fastest guards in the league. His playmaking was undeniable. As the Bobcats became the Hornets, Walker remained in Charlotte. While he never advanced out of the first round of the playoffs in Charlotte, Walker was named to three NBA All-Star games as a member of the Hornets. He left the Hornets in 2019 as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
In the summer of 2019, Walker signed a super-max four-year, $140 million contract with the Boston Celtics and was named an All-Star in his first season there. While he helped lead the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020, the furthest Walker ever advanced in the postseason, he was hampered by injuries for much of his Celtics’ career. In the summer of 2021, Walker was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford. Walker never suited up for the Thunder and instead became a Knick for the 2021-2022 season.
Despite scoring 44 points for the Knicks in December 2021, Walker could not find a place in New York’s rotation. The Knicks traded him to the Pistons the following summer, who waved the aging guard. He signed with the Dallas Mavericks for the 2022-2023 season and played nine games before being waved again. Walker spent the past season in Europe with AS Monaco.
Walker retires having scored 40 or more points in the NBA 19 times, twice going for 50 points or more. The four-time All-Star left his mark on the league, as one of the quickest guards ever to take the hardwood. Walker also leaves behind a legacy as a well-liked player; he won the NBA Sportsmanship Award twice.
In his professional career, Walker earned approximately $200 million. What awaits Kemba next is unclear, but he will always have a place in the hearts of basketball fans in the state of Connecticut.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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