Kemba Walker’s NBA career began with the Charlotte Bobcats after they selected him with the ninth pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. The man running the show for the Bobcats at the time was Michael Jordan, who became majority owner in 2010, and during an appearance on Best in Class, Walker was asked what it was like to be supported by the icon.
“To be supported by one of the greatest players of all time, it’s second to none for me,” Walker said. “When I got drafted… they traded up for me to get the ninth pick and they drafted me. So everybody was always telling me like, ‘You was MJ’s pick. He traded up for you, he wanted you because you won a national championship and your competitiveness.’
“When they telling me that, I’m like, ‘Oh man, I got a lot to live up to.’ This guy specifically got me so he obviously sees something in me,” Walker continued. “So, I wanted to uphold that and not make that pick a failure. That was always one of the things that drove me to work extremely hard.”
The interviewer stated that considering Walker became the Bobcats/Hornets’ all-time leading scorer, he certainly proved it was the right call to pick him. He added that Jordan would have been proud of all that he achieved and Walker agreed.
Jordan made a lot of bad decisions during his time at the helm with the Hornets but drafting Walker was certainly not one of them. It was probably the best decision he ever made.
Walker spent eight seasons with the Bobcats/Hornets and averaged 19.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. He made three All-Star teams in those years and the All-NBA Third Team in 2019.
Walker, who has become a player enhancement coach for the Hornets post-retirement, was the only positive when it came to the franchise for much of his time there and it perhaps played a part in him and Jordan forming a great bond. Back in 2020, Walker revealed he considered Jordan to be a big brother.
“Never in a million years did I ever think that I would be playing for MJ and be able to have a relationship with him,” Walker said. “And I did. That’s like my big brother. I appreciate him. Very grateful to him and what he’s done for me and my family and how he helped me progress through my career.”
These comments were made a year after Walker left the Hornets for the Boston Celtics, which lets you know how close the two were. It’s just a shame they weren’t able to win more during their time together, as they only made the playoffs twice and never won a series.
Kemba Walker Hilariously Stated Why He Won’t Gamble With Michael Jordan
Jordan’s love for gambling is well-known at this point and it turns out he gambled with Walker too. He made quite the impression on the younger man, with Walker hilariously stating he would never gamble with Jordan.
“This was my second year. One thing I learned, I ain’t gambling with him. I ain’t gone lie! He different. I gambled with him when we was in Monaco one time. He too intense! He too intense bro. I’m good.”
“He throwing the money down, I can’t compete with him! And I didn’t even get paid at the time. I’m like, ‘I ain’t got it yet’.”
There’s no shame in Walker not being able to match Jordan’s intensity, as few men in the world could. He certainly made the right call in deciding he was never going to do it again, as he would have lost a whole lot of money.
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