History will not remember much from the passage of Kemba Walker in Boston. Signed with great fanfare in the summer of 2019, to compensate for the departure of Kyrie Irving, the former Charlotte leader will not have succeeded in establishing himself in a team contending for the title, and will therefore not have lasted beyond two seasons. This is also due to recurring knee injuries.
However, there is (at least) one player who will keep a memorable memory of his time in Massachusetts. It is Grant Williamsthen a rookie in 2019/20, when Kemba Walker arrived at the C’s.
Guest of Hoop Catthe new Maverick looked back on what his teammate at the time brought him during a complicated season, marked by the Covid-19 pandemic which caused a suspension of the season from March to July, an episode which will at least have had the merit of strengthening the links within the teams affected by the end of the season which then took place in the Orlando “bubble”.
“Covid has been a unique experience, and everyone in my Draft cohort clearly has incredible stories about it,” he remembered. “When the world went into lockdown, no one yet knew what was going to happen, not just in the world of basketball but in life. Having to go play in a “bubble” with no one allowed to leave campus, with the same meals, it was a really different environment, and I think it brought us all together on this team. Although being with the same people every day, without being able to escape, can also be frustrating. It was a unique time, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but we got through it. »
Generosity and kindness
It was particularly during the Covid crisis that Grant Williams realized the generosity of Kemba Walker, when the latter opened his house to accommodate him. At the time, Grant Williams wanted to stay away from his grandparents, for fear of infecting them. Not content with being able to take advantage of his teammate’s facilities to stay in shape, he was able to get through this difficult moment with a slightly lighter heart.
“Kemba is one of the best veterans, if not the best, that I have ever had. He’s a generous guy. He would always give you his shirt. He totally welcomed me into his house. For me, it’s one of the coolest and most important things he could have done for me, especially at that time.”.
In addition to hosting him, Kemba Walker, who is playing this season in Monaco, far from the NBA, was able to guide the rookie to keep him in good physical condition, like a big brother.
“He made sure I trained and was ready in case we came back. But he also made sure we were comfortable with each other. Whether it’s playing board games, video games, or even giving each other space,” he remembered.
Lots of good memories which allowed him to better understand this rookie season full of upheavals, perhaps except for one detail…
“Our favorite board game was called “Trouble”, which is a lot of fun to play with. Kemba and his cousin Kedow are both incredibly strong at this game. And it had a way of driving me crazy…”.
