Smolar In case you missed it, Charlotte Hornets legend Kemba Walker announced his retirement on Tuesday before joining Charlotte’s coaching staff on Wednesday afternoon. While it’s been a full year since Walker played in the NBA and five years since he put on a Hornets uniform, that doesn’t diminish the impact Walker had on the franchise over his eight seasons as a player and will continue to have as a coach. The 34-year-old has had as big of an impact on the court in Charlotte as anyone has in a long time.
This is a team that has not had much to celebrate in their history. With just two playoff appearances since 2014 and no series wins, there has not been much team success for fans to be happy about. This is also a franchise that has never even reached a conference final before and last won a playoff series in 2002. That being said, it is not because of Walker. After being drafted ninth overall in the 2011 draft, he consistently gave a struggling franchise something to be excited about.
Walker retires from the game as the team’s all-time leading scorer and the franchise leader in minutes played, made field goals, 3-pointers and free throws. Walker additionally made three All-Star Games as a Hornet. Only two other players have made the All–Star Game while representing the Hornets since the 2009-10 season: Gerald Wallace and LaMelo Ball.
He would also make an All-NBA team in his final year with the team, averaging nearly 26 points a game and six assists per contest while playing in all 82 games during the 2018-19 campaign. Walker and Al Jefferson are the only two Hornets to make an All-NBA team since the 2013-14 season.
In other words, he put the team on his back during his entire tenure in Charlotte. They never really gave him a contending roster or any notable big names to play with outside of Jefferson during his time with the Hornets. With the lack of team success, he was consistently overlooked when discussing who some of the better guards were in the league at the time. Many analysts and basketball fans consistently said he deserved more praise and a better team to work with.
When you look at his accolades and time spent with the franchise, it should be clear that Walker is currently the best player to ever lace them up in Charlotte. His notable competition for Hornets GOAT includes Dell Curry, Gerald Wallace, Larry Johnson and Glen Rice.
All of these players had good careers overall and some success with the Hornets. However, none of them matched what Walker did for the team. Johnson and Rice are probably the closest from a talent and statistical perspective but Walker spent more time with the Hornets and left a bigger mark on the franchise. Curry and Wallace also had some good years with the team but aren’t remembered as much as Walker is.
If you were to ask basketball fans who the first player that comes to mind when you see a Hornets logo the answer would probably be Walker. Recency bias certainly plays a role but it’s hard to ignore what Walker did for the team or to say there’s another player in Hornets history definitively better.
The current Hornets roster is very young, led by Ball and Brandon Miller. With Walker helping guide the next era of basketball in Charlotte, they are in good hands. That being said, Walker holds the title of Hornets GOAT until further notice.
Most Popular
Comments / 0