Antoine Devon Walker is an American retired professional basketball player.
He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft out of the
University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008. Walker played for
the Celtics, Mavericks, Hawks, Heat, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, the BSN's Mets
and the NBA D-League's Stampede before retiring from basketball in 2012.
Walker, a three-time NBA All-Star, won an NCAA championship with Kentucky in
1996 and an NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Pre-NBA career Walker attended Mount Carmel High
School, in Chicago, where he played with future NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb
and attained all-state status as a senior, earning a full scholarship to
play for Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky. He was a starting forward
on the Wildcats' 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
Game-winning team. As a freshman at Kentucky he was named SEC Tournament
MVP. In his sophomore year, Walker was named All-SEC First, All-SEC Tournament
and to the All-NCAA Regional Teams. Professional career
= Boston Celtics = After Walker's sophomore season, he
declared for the 1996 NBA Draft and was picked sixth overall by the Boston
Celtics. In the 1996–1997 season, Walker made the All-Rookie First Team and led
the team in scoring and rebounding(9.0), as the team had its worst season in
franchise history, 15–67. The following season, Walker made the All-Star team as
a reserve while averaging 22.4 ppg and 10.2 rpg. He also scored a career-high
49 points in a loss against the Washington Wizards. In the '98 draft,
the Celtics had the 10th pick and chose swing man Paul Pierce. The next few
years, Pierce and Walker were the 1–2 punch for the Celtics. In the 2001–2002
season, Walker had his best overall season by helping lead the Celtics to a
49–33 record and their first playoff berth in seven years. He was second on
his team in scoring, first in rebounds, and first in assists,. Pierce and Walker
took the team to the Eastern Conference finals, where they fell to the New
Jersey Nets in six games. The next season, Walker made his third All-Star
team. = Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks =
Nine and one-half days before the start of the 2003–04 season, Walker was traded
to the Dallas Mavericks. Walker was used in a relatively limited capacity on his
new team due to the number of high-caliber players populating the
Mavericks' roster. Included on that team was Antawn Jamison, newly acquired from
the Golden State Warriors. On August 8, 2004 Walker and Tony Delk were traded to
the Atlanta Hawks for Jason Terry, longtime Hawk Alan Henderson and a draft
pick. = Return to Boston =
On February 24, 2005, Walker was traded back to the Celtics in a deal that sent
Gary Payton, Tom Gugliotta, Michael Stewart, and a first-round draft pick to
the Hawks. Walker started all 24 remaining games for the Celtics,
averaging 16.3 points and 8.3 rebounds a game as the Celtics advanced to the
playoffs before losing to the Indiana Pacers in a 7-game first round series.
= Miami Heat = On August 2, 2005, Walker was involved
in a five-team, 13-player deal that sent him from the Celtics to the Miami Heat.
Walker would play as a reserve. Though he struggled early to adjust to this
role, by the end of the season he was a force for the Heat, finishing the season
with averages of 12.2 points and 5.1 rebounds a game. In the playoffs his
production would increase, as he would be the third leading scorer for the team
while making crucial three-point baskets against the New Jersey Nets and the
Detroit Pistons. Miami made the NBA Finals and faced the Dallas Mavericks,
with Walker posting 13.8 points per game in the series as the Heat won the NBA
championship in 6 games. In game 6, Walker contributed 14 points and 11
rebounds. Walker's production dipped in the 2006-2007 series as he averaged 8
points a game and 3.7 rebounds. The Heat failed to repeat as champions following
a first round loss to the Chicago Bulls. = Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis
Grizzlies = On October 24, 2007, Walker was traded
to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien, a
first-round draft pick and cash considerations in exchange for Ricky
Davis and Mark Blount. On June 27, 2008, Walker was dealt to
the Memphis Grizzlies along with Marko Jarić, Greg Buckner, and the rights to
O. J. Mayo, for Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, Jason Collins, and the rights
to Kevin Love. After appearing in just two preseason games and remaining
inactive throughout the opening months of the regular season, he was waived by
the Grizzlies on December 19, 2008. In February 2010, he signed with the
Guaynabo Mets along with former Chicago Bulls player Marcus Fizer. Walker was
released on April 1, 2010. On May 6, 2010, ESPN reported that
Walker was trying to return to the NBA. On December 7, 2010, Walker was acquired
by Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League. It was reported in April 2012
that Walker had announced his retirement after two years with the Stampede.
Personal life Walker was previously engaged to reality
star Evelyn Lozada of Basketball Wives. According to Walker his decade long
relationship with Evelyn Lozada cost him dearly. Now near penniless Walker admits
he easily spent a couple of million dollars on his ex-fiancé and even her
family benefited from his generosity , but when he fell on hard times
financially he accuses her of bouncing on him and never looking back. "My thing
with Evelyn is she reaped a lot of benefits of my wealth. And when it got
tight she chose to go in a different direction. It’s tough when you take care
of some people and you make sure they are good, their family, their daughter,
and they just go left field." = Legal troubles =
On January 5, 2009, Walker was arrested for a DUI in Miami Beach, Florida.
On July 15, 2009, Walker was charged with three felony counts of writing bad
checks related to gambling debts he had incurred at three Las Vegas casinos.
Walker was arrested on July 15 at Harrah's Casino in South Lake Tahoe,
Nevada. The charges stemmed from over $800,000 in gambling debts. Walker was
in South Lake Tahoe to play in the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic
the following day. On June 30, 2010, Walker entered a plea
of not guilty on felony bad check charges stemming from his failure to pay
$770,000 in gambling losses to Caesars Palace and two other casinos in Las
Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. A year later, he pled guilty to
one felony count of passing a bad check. Under the plea agreement, he did not
face a prison term, and was put on probation and worked towards repaying
the debt. = Robberies =
In July 2000, Walker and former University of Kentucky teammate Nazr
Mohammed were robbed outside a South Side Chicago restaurant. On July 9,
2007, Walker and another individual were robbed at gunpoint by two offenders in
his own house. The assailants made off with close to $200,000 worth of
merchandise, including Walker's Mercedes. His car was later recovered
having been stripped of its expensive aftermarket wheels and stereo system.
Four men were charged in this robbery and two of them were also linked to the
similar robbery of fellow NBA player, Eddy Curry.
= Bankruptcy = On May 18, 2010, Walker filed for
Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Florida as case
number 10-23558 with total assets of $4.3 million and debts of $12.7 million.
The filing listed four pieces of real estate including a $2.3 million Miami
home that was underwater with a mortgage of $3.6 million, and three other
properties in Chicago, one listed for $1.4 million. Nazr Mohammed paid half
the fee of Walker's bankruptcy attorney. Walker's championship ring had to be
sold off. In August 2013, Walker announced that he was debt-free. Between
1996 and 2009, Walker earned more than $108 million from NBA salaries.
NBA career statistics = Regular season =
= Playoffs = See also
List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
Notes External links
Career statistics and player information from NBA.com
Walker's Career Stats Antoine Walker Bankruptcy Documents