Unique: Kemba Walker on teaching Hornets after retirement from NBA

CHARLOTTE — Kemba Walker took sooner or later after retirement to announce his subsequent transfer. With the choice taken out of his arms to cease taking part in, he determined to remain as near the NBA as he might for now.

“Nothing (impressed me),” he joked to CLNS Media/CelticsBlog. “I don’t know why I did it.”

“Charles (Lee) known as me. I knew I used to be gonna retire, so Charles known as me, requested if I needed to be a part of this. I felt prefer it was a no brainer, to be sincere. I dwell in Charlotte, I’ve lived right here since I acquired drafted right here. I’ve completed so many nice issues right here. We’ve some nice younger expertise. I simply needed to be across the recreation nonetheless, do what I can to assist. It’s the closest factor to the sport. I like basketball a lot.”

Walker left the NBA after a brief stint with the Mavericks in 2023, becoming a member of AS Monaco in France for what turned his remaining season of his profession. He performed solely 11 minutes per recreation in 26 video games with the membership, loving his expertise in France and even studying a number of the language, which he’s misplaced by now, earlier than discovering peace with the choice to lastly stroll away.

Now, weeks into his first season on the sideline, he has no regrets regardless of accidents sending his profession sideways at 31.

That bodily decline accelerated in Boston, the place he signed following an eight-year profession that helped set up the Bobcats and late turned the Hornets in 2014. After an all-star begin to the 2019-20 marketing campaign, he handled knee soreness within the Bubble, then to start the next season that started shortly after the earlier one. Walker missed the beginning of the 12 months, then time all through earlier than extra ache pressured him out of the group’s first spherical loss to Brooklyn. Brad Stevens traded him to Oklahoma Metropolis for Al Horford in his first transfer as president, which allowed him to play for his hometown New York Knicks after his launch.

Walker, nonetheless, appeared by means of the tunnel throughout Boston’s shootaround on Friday with the smile on his face. He greeted the numerous coaches who stay on the employees from his time with the Celtics, together with Tony Dobbins, greeted Jayson Tatum and later returned to the Boston locker room post-game the place he met with group employees. Payton Pritchard darted to the again room after recognizing him.

“It was cool (seeing the Celtics win the championship),” Walker stated. “Particularly the blokes who I used to be capable of be there with, like JT and Jaylen, the expansion over time has been unbelievable. So to have the ability to play with them and see with my very own eyes how a lot they grew to win a championship, it’s fairly particular truly.”

Walker’s days now contain taking the court docket with whoever’s on the ground. He doesn’t develop any participant, particularly, however tries to push everybody on a rising Hornets group that features LaMelo Ball, early season revelation Tre Mann and Brandon Miller, who completed third in 2024 rookie of the 12 months voting. The function additionally reunited him with former teammate Grant Williams, who was a rookie when Walker signed in Boston and moved in with him in Charlotte throughout the pandemic in 2020.

Walker doesn’t see teaching as a profession, however will depart his thoughts open for that to alter. Pritchard smiled when requested if he ever noticed Walker teaching, saying Walker in all probability doesn’t want the cash. The dedication fits him for now as he navigates retirement, which hasn’t introduced any new pursuits or hobbies but. He looks like God put him on Earth to be round basketball.

“It’s been simple,” Walker stated. “The folks round right here make my days simple, my life simple. I’m simply having a very good time, to be sincere. I’m not interested by, ‘rattling I want I performed or lasted to this season.’ It’s fairly good.”