Kemba Walker, a four-time NBA All-Star and legend at UConn, retires

Kemba Walker, a four-time NBA All-Star and UConn champion, announced his retirement on social media on Tuesday.
Walker added in his statement, “I know I couldn’t have made it to this point without my incredible support system around me.” “There are so many people to 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.”

Walker, 34, led UConn to a national title that spring and was selected by the then-Charlotte Bobcats with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft.
Walker made steady progress in Charlotte before to emerging as an All-Star in the 2016–17 season. The following two years saw him selected an All-Star once again, with his greatest campaign being in 2018–19 when he averaged a career-high 25.6 points per game and made the All-NBA third team.
Walker is still the franchise’s all-time leading scorer for the Hornets.
Walker signed a contract with the Boston Celtics that summer, after winning his third consecutive All-Star game, and was later traded to the team as part of a sign-and-trade agreement. That year, Walker played in another All-Star game with Boston, but the guard began to suffer from ailments.
In 2020, he helped Boston win his only two postseason series; nevertheless, the team eventually lost to the Miami Heat in the conference finals held in the Orlando Bubble.
Walker only participated in 43 of a potential 72 games the following season. Walker missed 35 games in his first eight seasons. Due to injuries, he missed 45 games during his two years with Boston.
In the summer of 2021, Walker was traded by Boston to Oklahoma City. The Thunder subsequently purchased Walker’s contract, enabling him to sign a contract with the New York Knicks. Walker averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 assists in 37 games with the Knicks, but his injury worries continued, and on February 16, 2022, he played his last game with the team.
In the summer, Walker was transferred to the Detroit Pistons and had his contract bought out once again. Before being released by Dallas in January of 2022–2023, he participated in nine games with the organization.
Walker played sporadically in the French League with AS Monaco the previous season before declaring his retirement.
Walker established himself as a big-game performer before entering the NBA by helping the Huskies win a national title. Walker had career-best performances in the NCAA tournament, winning Most Outstanding Player, and the 2011 Big East tournament, when the team won five games in five days to win the conference title.
Walker won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard that season and was unanimously selected to the first team of All-America.
Walker finished his NBA career ranked second in assists, third in steals, third in games played, and ninth in rebounds. He also led the Hornets in points, 3-pointers, win shares, and minutes played all-time.

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