Celtics
“Basketball will forever be a part of my life so this isn’t goodbye. I’m excited for what’s next.”
Former All-Star guard Kemba Walker — who won a national championship at UConn and played two seasons with the Celtics — announced his retirement on Tuesday afternoon.
Walker, 34, made the announcement on social media — closing out a pro basketball career that included 12 seasons in the NBA before spending the 2023-24 campaign with AS Monaco in the EuroLeague.
Here’s Walker’s full statement:
“I want to start this by thanking God for everything he has given me. Basketball has done more for me than I could’ve ever imagined, and I am super thankful for the amazing journey I’ve had.
“With that, I’m here to share that I am officially retiring from the game of basketball. This has all been a dream. When I look back, I still can’t believe the things I achieved in my career.
“I know I couldn’t have made it to this point without my incredible support system around me. There are so many people thank – my mom, dad and entire family, my teammates who have become family, and the coaches who believed in me and brought out the best in me.
“Basketball will forever be a part of my life so this isn’t goodbye. I’m excited for what’s next.”
Walker, who spent most of his NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets, helped keep Boston’s contention window afloat in the summer of 2019 after joining the Celtics via a sign-and-trade with Charlotte.
The Celtics were seemingly rudderless after losing both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford in free agency, with Walker serving as a veteran presence and potent scorer on a team filled with young talent.
In Walker’s first season with the Celtics, he earned another All-Star nod while helping Boston advance to the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals in the Orlando bubble.
However, injuries soon sapped Walker of his explosiveness and on-court availability — with the Bronx, New York, native only playing in 43 games during his second season with Boston before eventually getting dealt to the Thunder during the 2021 offseason.
In Walker’s two seasons with Boston, he averaged 19.9 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game over 99 appearances.
Walker, who retires as Charlotte’s all-time leading scorer with 12,009 points, discussed his journey through the NBA on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast on Tuesday.
“Just because of a small ball like, (it) really excelled me in life. Unbelievable,” Walker said, adding: “I’m done playing. It was a hell of a run. It was a run that I still can’t fathom today. I still can’t believe the things I’ve done in my basketball career, especially with all the doubt that I got coming in. … “It’s like a dream still, bro. It’s like a dream.
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