DALLAS, TX – On Tuesday, thousands of posters with Kemba Walker’s face on them greeted him at American Airlines Center.
The Dallas fan giveaway, whether intentional or not, was easy to interpret: this was Walker’s revenge game.
“I actually thought that was really cool,” Walker said before tipping off against the Knicks.
To be clear, Walker stated that there is no animosity toward the Knicks. The Bronx native fulfilled a childhood dream by playing for his hometown team, and two performances in particular were noteworthy: a triple-double on Christmas and a 44-point performance two days earlier in Washington.
However, Walker’s tenure as a whole was a letdown. And, for the first time, the four-time All-Star explained why he left the team in the middle of the season.
“To be honest, it wasn’t that difficult,” Walker said. “It was actually a selfish decision. I was only concerned with myself. I was determined to get it right. I wasn’t doing much playing at the time. So staying just didn’t make sense.”
Walker was out of the rotation for the second time at the time. Tom Thibodeau only used him in emergency situations, such as COVID-19 outbreaks. Walker left for Charlotte during the All-Star break and never returned, citing a “mutual decision” to suspend him for the rest of the season. The ordeal was difficult to reconcile after Walker’s hyped offseason debut — the Knicks signed him to a two-year, $16 million guaranteed deal while fully aware of his arthritic knee, gave him the starting job despite the arthritic knee, then benched him indefinitely because they didn’t want a part-time player with an arthritic knee.
“I’m not sure [if there was a misunderstanding]. They were aware of [my knee condition]. “Isn’t everyone aware?” Walker stated. “But that’s not my fault. If you’re going to put me on the field, I’m going to play. So that’s how it happened. That’s just how things are. “Control what you have control over.”
After nearly a year away from the NBA, the Mavericks, looking for a playmaking point guard after losing Jalen Brunson in free agency, took a chance on the 32-year-old and signed him to a one-year deal. Walker displayed greatness with a 32-point performance in Cleveland on Dec. 17, but sat out two straight games before Tuesday’s Knicks game for knee maintenance.
“I’m just trying to keep myself alive. “Keep me in a good spot,” Walker said. “These guys are looking after me.”
And, while Walker admitted the Knicks game had “extra juice,” he’s not dwelling on the turbulent season and breakup.
“That’s how this league works. “That’s how basketball works,” Walker explained. “I’ve a lot of basketball experience. There are no hard feelings here. There is no bad blood. I’m from New York, as I previously stated. I will always support my team. There’s no bad blood here.”
