Breaking: Former Hornets Star Announces Retirement And Joins The Hornets As Coach.
Following a 12-year NBA career, Kemba Walker announced his retirement and accepted a position as player enhancement coach with the Charlotte Hornets.
Kemba Walker is the all-time leader in points for the Charlotte Hornets, helping the franchise make their last Playoff berth in 2016 as their standout point guard. The 34-year-old guard announced his retirement from basketball with an emotional post on social media.
“I want to begin by giving thanks to God for everything that I have been blessed with. I’m incredibly grateful for the incredible trip I’ve had, and basketball has done more for me than I could have ever anticipated. I’m here to announce my official retirement from the game of basketball with that. All of this is a dream. I still find it hard to believe what I’ve accomplished in my career when I look back.”
“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. Basketball will forever be a part of my life so this isn’t goodbye. I’m excited for what’s next.”
The ‘what’s next’ for Walker has already been disclosed; Shams Charania reports that he will be joining the Hornets as a player enhancement coach and returning to the team that recruited him.
“After retiring from a 12-year NBA career, four-time All-Star Kemba Walker is rejoining the Charlotte Hornets on new coach Charles Lee’s coaching staff as a player enhancement coach.”
Walker had an incredible NBA career, spending time with the Hornets, Celtics, Thunder, and Mavericks before departing in 2023 to spend a season in the EuroLeague with A.S. Monaco. Walker returns to Charlotte to assist in kicking off a new chapter under new ownership, coaching, and management following a quiet year in Monaco.
Kemba Walker’s Career Was Underrated
Kemba Walker’s name will be enshrined in the annals of NCAA basketball history for the tremendous run he led the UConn Huskies before capturing the 2011 National Championship. Throughout his collegiate career, Walker averaged 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. In the highly competitive 2011 NBA Draft, the Hornets selected Walker with the ninth overall choice.
For the Charlotte Hornets, who haven’t had anything to shout about in a generation, Kemba Walker offered relevancy. Walker was never able to win a playoff series with the team due to the roster mismanagement, but he did accomplish something by leading them to the playoffs in 2014 and a seven-game loss in 2016—an accomplishment that many undervalue.
Walker would go on to play for the Boston Celtics in 2019, but after one All-Star appearance and knee injuries, he quickly faded from the spotlight, playing for the Knicks afterward. Walker’s final NBA season was with the Mavericks in their disastrous 2022–23 season where they missed the Playoffs, leaving the franchise mid-season because he was waived after putting up 32 points in his final NBA game. That makes a fitting way to say goodbye.
During the course of his career, he averaged 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, making four All-Star teams and one All-NBA team. Walker’s old teammate Josh Green will join the youthful Hornets core that is led by LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, and he will be a significant role in the locker room.
