The 3-point shot became the most valuable shot in all of basketball in the modern era and has widened the generation gap between today’s basketball and the kind we saw in the ’90s and ‘2000s.
While now we are okay with shooters taking risky 3’s in-game situations, shots like that would result in players being benched as the post was always the preferred spot to shoot a 3 from. In that sense, former Boston Celtics forward Antoine Walker was a unique player for his time, leading the league in 3-point attempts for 3 seasons during his time in Boston.
Most recently, Walker made comments about Boston Celtics needing to stay away from trading Jaylen Brown for Kevin Durant. Outside that, an old classic quote of his is making the rounds. When an interviewer asked Walker why he shot so many 3’s in the early-2000s, Walker had the simplest explanation and told her that he can’t shoot 4’s.
Antoine Walker averaged 4.8 attempts as a stretch power forward during his career. His shooting peaked during his time with Boston from the 2000-01 season to the 2002-03 season, as he became a 2-time All-Star in those 3 seasons. He averaged 7.6 attempts across those 3 seasons and converted at a 34% rate. He also led the league in 3-point attempts in these 3 seasons.
Walker started to cool off on the shooting after being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, looking to break into the upper echelon of the NBA. His 3-point attempts dropped massively as he shot just 3.7 threes a game. That also made sense as Walker averaged a low conversion percentage of 26.9%, the lowest of his career.
Walker cooled off being a volume shooting power forward and adapted his game to his team’s needs. As a result, he was a crucial piece off the bench for the Miami Heat in 2006 as they won the NBA Championship led by Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. Walker may have fared better in the modern era of high-volume shooting, but he was a trailblazer for his time by showing big men can be versatile shooters as well.
