Everyone seems to love Kemba Walker.
Not only has the All-Star point guard drawn rave reviews from his new Boston Celtics teammates. He also left a lasting impression on the guys he played with as a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
The Athletic’s Jay King caught up with several of Walker’s former teammates Sunday with the Hornets visiting the Celtics in preseason action at TD Garden, and all spoke glowingly about the 29-year-old. Dwayne Bacon, who played alongside Walker for two seasons in Charlotte, explained the positive impact his former teammate likely will have with his new organization, namely when it comes to being a leader.
“I don’t know what they had in the locker room last year, but he’s going to bring a different vibe,” Bacon told King. “Something that’s always positive no matter if they lose five in a row, win 10 in a row, it’s the same attitude that he wants to win and get better. He’s a guy that’s going to compete hard every night. No matter who’s in front of him, he’s going to give you his all every night. He’s a guy that, in the long stretch, he can win a lot of ball games for you.”
Walker landed a four-year max contract with the Celtics this offseason after spending his first eight seasons with the Hornets. He’ll replace Kyrie Irving as Boston’s starting point guard, and early indications are that he’ll fit in nicely, especially on the heels of a 2018-19 campaign in which locker room chemistry was an issue for the C’s.
“There’s really nothing bad that you can say (about Walker), honestly,” Bacon said, per King. “He didn’t do anything wrong to anyone.”
