Kemba Walker was a flashy guard with incredible control over the ball and scoring at a rapid pace efficiently. Apart from his patented stepback, Walker was also known for donning some iconic shoes. During his latest appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast ‘7PM In Brooklyn’, the now-retired-player-turned-coach spoke about a similar topic, giving credit to Melo and Russell Westbrook for convincing Michael Jordan to sign Walker to his brand.
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Despite being the best player on the franchise (Charlotte) that was owned by MJ, the Jordan brand did not sign Walker. It was only in 2015 when Walker made his move to the Jordan brand, jumping ships from Under Armour.
The former point guard revealed how two Jordan-signed players – Carmelo & Russell – played a huge role in the deal’s success. “Him and Russ, they was vouching for me,” Walker admitted. During the same conversation, Anthony revealed how he tried swaying MJ’s mind. “You gotta make that happen,” Melo told Jordan.
Melo and Westbrook played a huge role, influencing His Airness to gamble by signing Kemba Walker. However, even though he was unable to win any prestigious accolade, Walker did make sure to “grind” to prove his worth to the G.O.A.T.
Kemba Walker wanted to make Michael Jordan proud
Despite standing at only 6 feet, Walker was one of the best point guards in the league during his prime. His motivation to never disappoint Jordan was the biggest reason behind his success. The 34-year-old worked twice as hard after learning that the ‘Black Cat’ himself decided to trade up in the 2011 draft to acquire him.
“I think anybody who plays for MJ is already motivated. Well, for me was the fact that anybody around the organization always told me that he was the one who really want to trade up for me in the draft like he made that decision by himself. So I didn’t want to let him down. That’s what it was for me. For me, I was like ‘I’m not letting him down.’”
While Kemba had a solid few years with the Hornets, he shifted gears and elevated his game drastically after being signed by the Jordan brand. From the 2015-2016 season onwards, Walker averaged 23 points, 5.5 assists, and 4 rebounds per game (per Basketball Reference) in his final three seasons with the franchise.
During this span, the former UConn player also made it to three All-Star Games and 1 All-NBA Team. Clearly, his ambitions of wanting to prove his worth to MJ allowed Walker to play at a level that even he couldn’t imagine. While Jordan loved winning and was known for being a hard worker, he would’ve respected Walker’s “grind” and dedication to the game.
