Kemba Walker Adjusting Style With Legitimate NBA Contender

Kemba Walker seemed ready to stick with the Charlotte Hornets before he eventually got traded to the Boston Celtics for Terry Rozier. Obviously, it was a move to make up for the loss of Kyrie Irving who opted to take his act to the Brooklyn Nets. Now, the 29-year-old guard finds himself playing for an NBA contender, something that he admits has yet to fully sink in.

“I couldn’t see myself just being on another team. It was just hard. That’s all I’ve known was Charlotte. Definitely some tough times. I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to get the offer that I wanted, and maybe not close to it, because of cap space…I had to get my head wrapped around the feeling and picking another team,” said Walker in an interview with The Athletic.

It is a great opportunity for the 9th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft although he knows he has big shoes to fill. Irving remains the yardstick and he needs to find a way to get everyone together - particularly the young stars.

Aware that the Celtics fell short of expectations, it will now be up to Walker to see if he can be a better fit. With the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward around him, Walker admits that these are the type of players he wants around him.

"These guys, they’ve been winning for years. I want to be part of that. This is a big-time roster. The guys that make up the roster, there’s such great young talent — guys who are hungry, who want to win and want to get better and work hard. That’s who I want to be around,” added the three-time NBA All-Star.

Walker's current predicament is a big turn from what he bargained for. As mentioned in a previous post, Walker seemed ready to take lesser pay and stay with the Hornets. But it appears he will now have to adjust to that where his work could get much easier. There is no doubt Walker has what it takes to lead a team to success and now he inherits a bunch of talented NBA stars who could make life easier for him. It is a great opportunity and something that the 6-foot-1 guard is likely not to waste.