Kemba Walker just wants everyone on the Boston Celtics to be happy — plain and simple.
And no, it’s not an act.
“I’m really just being myself,” Walker said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I’m really just genuinely happy for guys and my teammates. I love when guys have success. I’ve had a lot of success in my career, and I want guys to have great success.”
Nor is this anything new.
Whether it’s Indiana Pacers guard Jeremy Lamb or Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum, Walker puts plenty of trust into the men he plays with, especially if a game comes down to the wire. And the faith and positivity the three-time All-Star regularly exudes, win or lose, makes a difference to his peers.
“I would just say that as great as he is on the court, he’s just as great off the court,” Lamb said of his time as Walker’s teammate at the University of Connecticut and with the Charlotte Hornets. “In terms of just leadership and as a friend, he’s always looking to make people better.”
But there’s a method (albeit simple) to Walker’s madness.
“For me, it’s just the nature of this sport, like a team sport,” he said. “You don’t want nobody to be unhappy. You want everybody to play with joy, play with freedom and have fun.”
