The Boston Celtics aren’t just getting an All-Star guard in Kemba Walker, they are getting a class act.
As much soul as Kyrie Irving sucked out of the Boston Celtics on his way to the Brooklyn Nets, new All-Star point guard Kemba Walker is putting much more in.
After a sign-and-trade that officially brought Walker to Boston in exchange for Terry Rozier, the newest member of the Celtics is showing just how much of a class act he is to both his former city and his newest city.
In a Players’ Tribune piece titled “Boston, Let’s Do This,” Kemba Walker gives solitude to his former organization for drafting him with the No. 9 pick overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. He shares a key moment with team owner and basketball royalty Michael Jordan, and thanks fans, his teammates and the entire state of North Carolina for believing in him and rallying behind him.
It’s simply time to move on for Walker, who ended the piece by introducing the city of Boston to his winning nature. Of how he wants to add to the championship culture by continuing to better himself by working hard and leading by example.
In every way, the player in Kemba Walker that the Boston Celtics are getting on a 4-year, $141 million deal is almost the complete opposite of what they thought they had in Kyrie Irving.
With his play on the court, there is no doubt Walker is going to make the team fun to watch again, but his words make them likeable again.
Here are three takeaways from the Players’ Tribune piece that will make every Celtics fans smile.
“I’m a leader in every way”
One of the values in obtaining a player like Kemba Walker for the Boston Celtics is that his presence and leadership on the court will allow the young players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to take that next step.
In an offseason in which the team has lost Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, the team has put its faith that these two young players will break out and reach their expectations.
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Will it happen in 2019?
After a disappointing season in which some could say both Tatum and Brown took a step backwards, perhaps both players have actually improved by learning from the experience. In Kemba Walker, they now have a player who will actually lead by example and not call them out in public like Irving did.
In fact, the following words from Walker appear to be a direct shot at the Brooklyn Nets new star. Furthermore, a boost of belief in the players he will be joining.
"“I’m a leader in my own way,” Walker writes. “I’m never going to shout anyone off the court or get overly negative. It’s not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates better – I’m that lead by example type. I like to keep it direct.”"
Being direct and not throwing subtle hints through the media will build the confidence of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the other young players on the team. Having a leader who believes in them and trusts them is the security blanket they need as younger players finding their stardom.
In all, leadership is a trait, not an easily learned behavior.
“We’re going to grind for those buckets”
With the way the Boston Celtics were bounced from the second round of the playoffs, the main goal of Danny Ainge was to bring in players who compete even when things aren’t going well.
Kemba Walker is that type of player.
Throughout the 2018-19 NBA season, the Celtics that took the court were unrecognizable at times. The team basketball we all grew accustomed to only showed up in spirts. It was frustrating to fans because the team showed glimpses of how good they could be when everything was clicking, and they played hard.
Unlike Kyrie Irving, all games matter for Kemba Walker.
He’s a hungrier player who wants to feel the playoff success he has yet to taste in his career. He is a player who will take accountability when he is not playing well and showcase his love for basketball and the team within every ounce of his sweet.
"“I take my responsibilities as a professional very seriously – but I also try not to lose sight of why I’m here in the first place,” Walker explains. “I love this game. So we’re going to grind for those buckets….we’re going to grind for those stops….but I’ll tell you what else: we’re going to have some fun out there. And you can bet we’re going to be fun to watch.”"
One of the comments that stood out last season is when Marcus Morris said that the team wasn’t haven’t fun or rooting for one another like other teams. They needed to truly enjoy playing with one another. With Kemba Walker on board, that love for the game and joy playing for one another will return.
“I’m a winner”
Players who want to win and show they care about winning have the most success in the city of Boston.
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Somewhere during the season, Kyrie Irving stopped wanting to win for the city of Boston. That lack of love rubbed off on his young teammates and they didn’t do the small things that made them so competitive in reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017-18.
Not to totally blame Irving, but like Kemba said earlier in his column, a leader has to lead by example. Walker will provide that and will also wear his passion for winning on his sleeve. The Boston Celtics saw that first hand when facing Walker.
So, to read the following words has to be encouraging:
"“I’m a winner. I’ve always been a winner. It’s who I am – or at least who I strive to be – anytime I step foot on the court. And when I think about my future with this team, and how I’m now going to be playing for the Celtics…I mean, that’s why I feel like it’s a match made in heaven.”"
Overall, it’s not about raising his number in the rafters, it’s about raising a banner that represents team basketball. The passion to win, the teamwork and the dedication on the court was lost this past season.
With the addition of one player, the Boston Celtics have gotten back to that.
No, we haven’t seen it on the court yet. But, through the words of Kemba Walker, it’s time to believe again.