Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker inspires fierce loyalty among his teammates going all the way back to his days as a UConn Husky, and former Charlotte Hornets teammates still consider him among their closest friends despite his departure to Boston this summer.
One such former teammate is big man Bismack Biyombo, who was drafted two spots ahead of the Bronx native in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings and immediately traded to the then-Charlotte Bobcats.
The pair came up together, and reunited for a season on the Hornets after stints on the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic for Biyombo.
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Speaking about their time together in a recent interview with Heavy.com’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on the “Scoop B Radio” podcast, Biyombo shared some thoughts about his friend and now former teammate.
“Kemba has always been a hard worker and he’s my friend, my family; we came in the league together and we grew throughout the years,” began the Congolese center.
“One thing that I’ve always admired about Kemba is his work ethic … I remember one time, it was practice and it was the lockout year and a lot of our guys were hurt and we went up and we called a practice. It was just him and I; he was working out on one side and I was working out on the other side.
I can’t remember how long that we were working out, but at the end he was just joking about it like, ‘The NBA is really crazy; and a lot of this hard work will get you so far in this league and you just have to be patient in the process.'”
Walker has long had a reputation as a near-constant grinder, putting in work on whatever aspect of his game or body needs attention — and then putting in more.
It 'felt good' for Kemba Walker to be back on the floor vs. Suns https://t.co/dDYN6ZO7s1
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 27, 2020
And while it stinks for Biyombo he will have to watch his friend’s successes continue with the New Yorker on a different team again, the Lubumbashi native seems genuinely excited for the possibilities ahead of Walker.
For Biyombo, their friendship transcends the game.
“Just being able to see him going from being the rookie of the young guys to becoming the leader, to All-Star starter…this is beyond amazing to witness that and to get to know him as a person; he is the coolest person outside of basketball.”
“So, there’s only so much that I can say about my brother,” added Biyombo.
UConn fans in southern New England already know what Celtics fans and of course our Congolese friend have known for years now.
Stevens: Kemba Walker has his 'burst back;' may still sit vs. Suns https://t.co/fy6Z9HvK55
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 25, 2020
A not-small part of what has made Walker’s career as successful as it has been is his “Ubuntu” – like approach to life that seems to breed success wherever the point guard has landed.
Incidentally, a philosophy that helped carry the franchise to its last banner; will it carry it to another?
A longshot to be sure, but then — the odds have never bothered the former Husky before.
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