From one Walker to another, Antoine reveals Kemba asked his blessing to don the uniform of Boston Celtics Employee Number Eight.
If you’ve noticed a certain Walker wearing a No. 8 jersey for the Boston Celtics, chances are you didn’t confuse him for Antoine Walker, who is nearly a head taller than the contemporary player of that name donning that particular jersey number.
That Celtic of course is UConn product Kemba Walker, whose choice of jersey number was no coincidence.
In a recent interview with Employee No. 8 — as Antoine was called for his choice of jersey as much as his blue-collar ethos in an era of Celtics mediocrity — with Heavy.com’s Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on the “Heavy Live with Scoop B” show, the elder Walker revealed the younger had reached out to ask permission to wear the jersey.
“He asked for my blessing to be able to wear number No. 8 and I was like: ‘Man, how could you turn a guy you know [down]; All-Star and a guy that was actually nice enough to even include me in the thought process of wearing a jersey?’ So I was excited that he wore it.”
It’s not uncommon for players to be protective of their jersey numbers — both coming into the league as well after they’ve left — as current Celtic Jayson Tatum recently revealed as the reason he now wears Boston’s No. 0 jersey.
So, it’s unusual for the duo to have clicked in such a way, though Kemba sharing a last name with Antoine probably didn’t hurt.
“I want to give Kemba a lot of respect because he didn’t have to do that at all,” he explained. “Like I said, we didn’t have a prior relationship, but for him to reach out to me made me feel special.”
Now all we need to tie the Celtics’ No. 8 jersey’s past and present together in a most apropos way is to see the UConn product bust out a certain player’s trademark shimmy after draining a stepback 3.
In shades of Marcus Smart’s tiff with Jaylen Brown, former Celtic forward Antoine Walker recalls how he and Paul Pierce managed to recover from their own fights.
Sometimes, the past can hold clues for how to handle the present, and the relationship between former Boston Celtics forwards Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce is a good template for moving past the spat that erupted in the locker room after Thursday night’s East Finals loss to the Miami Heat.
While the specifics of the dynamic at hand are different — Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown got testy about holding each other accountable after the Game 2 loss while Walker and Pierce only got one crack at an East Finals to that duos three — the urge to deliver for adoring fans never changes.
Speaking to Heavy.com’s Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on the “Heavy Live With Scoop B” show, Walker discussed how he and Pierce could disagree vehemently about game-related issues, but managed to stay close just the same.
“Me and Paul could curse each other out and call each other every name in the book and we’re still friends the next day and we’re ready to go,” recalled Walker.
“We had the same goals in mind, we wanted to help rebuild the Celtic organization, we wanted to get back to the playoffs — we were able to do that. We had aspirations of one day winning the title, but we got along so well on and off the court for the time that we played together. Even when I left and then came back, it was just like the same way when I left and that would probably be my best teammate. Now did I enjoy playing with some other guys? No question. Shaq, D-Wade, Gary Payton; love ’em. Enjoyed playing with them — some of my best teammates.”
“But the best was Paul Pierce hands down,” he added.
Woj: Brad Stevens held late-night meeting to smooth post-loss tension https://t.co/nkj6uGRVmn
Depending on how they handle the quarrel, it could actually bring Smart, Brown and the rest of the team closer, as it did in Pierce and Walker’s era.
The key is whether the duo let bygones be bygones, and if they use what they have learned from the exchange to build a stronger foundation.
With word circulating they met late-night to positive effect, it seems likely Boston could actually end up stronger for the spat, a sign of a strong organizational culture.
And the kind of personal accountability rooted in the mutual respect Walker and Pierce held for one another.
Former Boston Celtic forward Antoine Walker is very critical of All-NBA swingman Jayson Tatum’s on-court moves — but just the celebratory variety.
“Tell him he’s got some work to do,” laughed former Boston Celtic forward Antoine Walker.
Walker, known for his trademark shimmy he would deploy after nailing an especially sexy shot, was a bit tickled by the subtle approximation of his jubilant celebratory boogie deployed by current All-NBA Celtic swingman Jayson Tatum.
The Kentucky product was a Boston stalwart in the leanest era of the storied franchise’s seven-decade history, a fellow traveler of Paul Pierce’s in a time most Celtics fans would like to forget, save for that duo and a handful of other players.
“Nobody does the shimmy better than me!” proclaimed the former Boston big man.
“Stephen Curry has a nice shimmy,” offered Walker. “John Wall has a nice shimmy. But Jayson Tatum is at the bottom of that list right now.”
“He’s got some work to do. And then he doesn’t – from him, he doesn’t really show a lot of emotion when he plays so he probably really doesn’t have any rhythm off the court. He probably can’t dance. I don’t know. I haven’t been around the new Celtics a lot.”
Judging from the Tik-Toks the St. Louis native made in quarantine, Walker’s theory on the former Blue Devil’s shimmy deficiency might just be the right call.
Then again, the Third Team All-NBA wing might just be focusing on the parts of his game that actually contribute to winning.
Kenyon Martin was a big part of the Nets’ impressive run in the early 2000s, creating headaches for Boston’s Antoine Walker, in particular.
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Jason Kidd is always the first name to come up when discussing the New Jersey Nets’ back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in the early 2000s. Rightfully so — for all the talent that Kidd inherited to play alongside him, they did nothing before his arrival.
Among the talented players the Hall of Fame point guard played with in New Jersey was Kenyon Martin, who recently received serious praise from Antoine Walker during the retired three-time All-Star’s appearance on Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson’s Heavy Live with Scoop B:
I always tell people that Kenyon Martin was probably the toughest guy that I went up against.
Because of my skillset and because of my ability to step outside. People don’t know, Kenyon Martin is probably only 6’5″. But he’s athletic, can jump to the moon, quick feet. So your typical move wasn’t beating Kenyon Martin. You had to do some extra stuff. You know, you had to do some extra moves to get by Kenyon. He’s a great defender so, we had some unbelievable battles me and Kenyon. I respect him to the utmost as a defender, as a competitor so those were some epic battles. When you think about New Jersey, you think about some of those battles.
Of course, Walker couldn’t talk about that era of Nets basketball without discussing Kidd, too:
We just caught Jason Kidd in his prime man. We couldn’t match up. And no offense to Kenny [Anderson] and Kenny’s my man but, Kidd was unbelievable for a couple of years. Those two years they went to the Finals. I don’t think there was any better point guard in the game better than Jason Kidd. Those two years when they went to the NBA Finals back-to-back; see people don’t understand we get ’em in the Eastern Conference Finals we’re up 2-1, then we come back the following year and they sweep us in the second round but, those were epic battles man; we played that team probably like 30 times in two years it seemed like but, we couldn’t get past them. They were deep you know; Jason, Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn, Lucious Harris, Aaron Williams … they were loaded man, but they had our number for some reason. It was one of things that they had our number when it counted.
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics have long been Eastern Conference rivals, but Antoine Walker recalls when their cultures couldn’t have been much further apart.
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have a boatload of history between them going back to the days when their current GMs — Danny Ainge and Pat Riley, respectively — were themselves enmeshed the Los Angeles Lakers – Celtics rivalry of the 1980s.
And while the connections that would see the Lakers – Celtics rivalry morph into a Miami – Boston one through their general managers in the 2010s were established by the midway point of the previous decade, the Celtics’ roster hadn’t quite caught up to Ainge’s intentions of resurrecting his former team to contention status by that point.
Boston had wallowed in a decade of mediocrity many younger fans would have a hard time recognizing based on the values of the team under Ainge, and former Celtic forward Antoine Walker recently talked about the stark difference in culture he recalled upon changing teams in free agency.
Speaking in an interview with Heavy.com’s Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson for the “Heavy Live With Scoop B Show”, Employee No. 8 (as Walker was sometimes called) opened a window on just how far the Celtics had fallen before Ainge got his hands on the franchise.
And how Riley had used his head start with the Heat to nab a title for Miami while the Celtics were still cleaning up the cobwebs.
“It was unbelievable for me,” exclaimed Walker.
While Heat, Celtics have history, both teams are focused on the present https://t.co/wAKLBRWzF2
“When I was in Boston, it was all about ‘Let’s get back to the playoffs, let’s become a consistent playoff team'” he explained. “The championship was always kind of a long shot in the mindset, well at least my mindset.”
“I was like, ‘Man I just want to go to the playoffs and see how we can do in the playoffs and be on the big stage.’ Then suddenly as a free agent you sign with Shaq and D-Wade and that’s their only goal … a title. It’s a different preparation, it’s a different mindset and not only that, I’m playing with Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, James Posey, Jason Williams, Udonis Haslem … I’m playing with all guys that are in the prime of their career or at the end of their career and all they care about is the championship.”
“My mindset had to change and I was just proud of myself that I was able to lock in to that type of team and being able to be a big part of what we were able to accomplish,” added the Kentucky product.
“It was everything to me,” said Walker, “and I would always tell people it was the funnest year that I have ever played as a pro.”
FiveThirtyEight: Cs most-likely in East for Finals, in NBA to win title https://t.co/7pWgulDzlG
The former Celtic’s years in Boston were marked by the fallout of the team’s bad luck with players like Len Bias and Reggie Lewis compounded by poor team management under Rick Pitino and others.
He, Paul Pierce and Kenny Anderson managed to make a deep run once during his Boston tenure, but it would take Ainge three more seasons after Walker left the team in free agency to right the ship.
Nearly a decade and a half later, both franchises have added to their banner collections, and face off this Tuesday in the East Finals as Riley and Ainge have another go at facing off yet again in their respective quests for another title.
Former Celtic forward Antoine Walker likes Boston over the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals Friday night.
Former Boston Celtics power forward Antoine Walker likes what he’s been seeing from his old team in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Celtics are facing off with the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series with the defending champions this evening, and Employee No. 8 admits he’s pleasantly surprised by the Celtics’ play thus far, even considering the near misses.
“I love the series,” Walker said to Heavy.com’s Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on a recent “Heavy Live With Scoop B Show” podcast interview with the former Boston big man. “The Celtics are doing much better than I thought.”
“I thought that they were going to have problems; I didn’t know how healthy Kemba Walker was and I thought you know, he was not 100% and I’m not sure where he’s at but, he’s playing pretty good,” added Walker.
“I was worried about him, I thought that they were going to miss Gordon [Hayward]; when you take 17.5 points out [of] your lineup, you usually miss that. I know the Celtics have three guys that can score 20 points but I thought that they would miss Gordon a little bit. And I worried about the size of the Celtics. I didn’t know Robert Williams who is playing great would play as good as he’s been playing. I worried about him a little bit, but they’ve surprised me.”
“They’ve played some terrific basketball,” observed the former Celtic forward.
He’s not surprised the Raptors have hung around in the series, however.
KG, Tommy Heinsohn and Bob Cousy all call it for the Celtics in Game 7 https://t.co/nzTwkXvUox
“One thing you got to understand about Toronto is Toronto is a veteran team,” explained Walker. “They won last year — that group has been in some battles.”
“They’re playoff tough now and they play together. It’s a hard team to prepare for because they really don’t have a star. I think Kyle Lowry is a very, very good player. Pascal Siakam could be a good player in this league where he can be considered one of the elites; he’s not there yet. I know he made the All-Star team, but he’s not there yet.
On any given night Fred VanVleet could be their best player. But I thought that their size would give the Celtics problems; Gasol and Serge Ibaka would give them some problems inside and the Celtics have handled them really, really well.”
Walker correctly predicted the series would go to seven games, and is (perhaps obviously) rooting for Boston to win it all as his Celtics alumni Kevin Garnett, Bob Cousy and Tommy Heinsohn are.
And despite — or perhaps because — of all the intensity and close contests in several of the games of the series so far, it’s been a “great series” to the former Boston forward.
Antoine Walker opened up in a recent conversation with fellow former Boston Celtic fan favorite Brian Scalabrine on his memory of beating Michael Jordan’s “Last Dance” Chicago Bulls.
Though the Boston Celtics may not have had too much of a role in the ESPN Michael Jordan documentary “The Last Dance”, it’s understandable why they left the first game of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls season the series revolves around.
They lost to Boston, 92-85.
The Celtics, led by new head coach and team president Rick Pitino, pulled off an improbable victory over a Bulls team embarking on one last shot at a ring for Jordan and Chicago under head coach Phil Jackson.
While Boston fell behind by as much as 20 points early, a 31-point, 8-rebound, 5-steal game from Antoine Walker stole the contest from a Scottie Pippen-less Bulls, to Jordan’s great consternation.
Speaking with another former Celtic in one Brian Scalabrine — now working as an analyst for NBC Sports Boston — Walker recently shared his view on that unheralded win.
“We know [the game] was going to be special,” began Employee No. 8, as Walker was sometimes called. “I mean one obviously is coach [Pitino] coming in.”
“It was so much excitement about him taking over being the coach. Also his excitement about me, having my teammates on the team with me. A couple of them on the team with Ron [Mercer] and Walt [McCarty],” added Walker.
The team was actually loaded with Kentucky players — Pitino’s last stop before joining Boston that summer — and also featured forward Reggie Hanson.
All of whom had played for their coach at that school, as well as with the Celtics.
Walker, a native of Chicago, was also incredibly excited to face the reigning NBA champs on national television.
“I think that’s what that was the icing on the cake,” he explained,
“It being on national TV, but for me being a childhood Bulls fan and going against the Bulls. Obviously, I got over the shock after my first year of playing against them, but I was excited because I felt like we had a better team.”
We were more equipped to have a good season, so I was really excited about the opportunity of playing against them and being able to compete,” he added.
Evidently, there was some grumbling from some corners of the team in the lead-up to the game, with veterans complaining that Pitino’s preferred style of play — the full court press — was more a collegiate style with little proven success at the next level.
They may have also complained because it took a lot of energy.
“Camp was really, really hard, because it was something that most pros were not used to,” offered Walker. “I was used to it, and I was only one year removed, [so] I kind of knew what to expect.”
“The extra running, the demand on the defensive end was extreme. So it was a very tough camp and coach was more … serious about getting in shape, and being able to be able to play the style, if you choose to do that in the pressure style. And we did that early on.”
Jordan and Walker weren’t strangers when that Game 1 of the season came around, having crossed paths on at least a few other occasions.
In fact, it wasn’t even the first season opener Walker and Jordan would face off against each other.
“The first time I met him was in [1996],” said the former Wildcat. “Right before the first day I actually met him and had a conversation with him was in 96. We actually played the first game of the season in 96, as well.”
“And that was my first time having the opportunity to meet him and talk to him … but my relationship grew over the over the next five years. And obviously in the fifth year when he decided to come back out of retirement, I got an opportunity to really, really get to know him and work out with him and become a really good friend of his.”
The win, however, nearly put a damper on that budding friendship, with Walker’s trademark wiggle celebration enraging His Airness, as Pitino himself would later relate.
“We wanted to just try to embrace the moment,” noted Walker.
“We knew we could kick off the confidence booster this would give us, the fans were excited about the new team, the new direction that the organization was going. So it was one of those moments that we wanted to win this game.”
“This was gonna set the tone for our season,” he added.
Former Boston Celtics head coach and team president Rick Pitino recalls his win over Michael Jordan’s Bulls in 1997.
You would never have predicted the rest of former Boston Celtics head coach and team president Rick Pitino’s tenure went based on the results of Game 1 of the Pitino era.
Replacing Celtics legend Red Auerbach was a tall order — really, the tallest — and history testifies to how the story ended for the New Yorker’s foray into Boston’s front office turned out.
But with the ESPN Michael Jordan documentary “The Last Dance” bringing all manner of old controversies back to life, Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls season depicted in the documentary series — and Pitino’s oft-oathed time at the helm of the Celtics — has come back to the fore.
It was the 1997-98 Celtics that were to be the presumptive punching bag to Jordan’s Bulls that season, but down Scottie Pippen, Jordan and the Bulls started the season with a 0-1 record with an outstanding performance by Boston.
Early on, the Celtics fell into a deep hole, down as much as 20 points in the first quarter; “our expectations weren’t great, obviously, coming off a 15-win season [in 1996-97],” noted Pitino (via the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett).
But forward Antoine Walker would go off for 31 points, stealing the game from Chicago and infuriating Jordan with his trademark shimmy.
“I’ll never forget, as long as I live, we were going back to the locker room, and Michael Jordan is yelling at Antoine … And I said, ‘ … what happened there?’ Then the assistant coaches explained to me that apparently Antoine was shimmying … Michael started screaming, ‘Antoine, you won’t be … dancing when you come to Chicago.'”
“He kept saying it, and I said, ‘Oh, [expletive],'” laughed the former Celtics head honcho.
.@RealPitino: "There's two guys you never wanted to piss off: Bird and MJ…. because it would always come back to haunt you. When Antoine got him mad in that first game, I'm saying, 'Oh, (expletive)' … Of course, Antoine said, 'Oh, (expletive) him, we won the game.'" https://t.co/8w9rMsaXsM
True to his word, Jordan’s Bulls beat the pants off the Celtics in their later meetings.
But, for just a moment, the hope train the Celtics had had a habit of missing with gusto since the retirement of Larry Bird seemed to be pulling into the station — only for reality to smack the team in the face, and encourage the former Kentucky head coach to make poor, win-now decisions.
To his credit, Pitino has owned up to that era’s mistakes, acknowledging he abused his position to alleviate the stress of high expectations.
“If I could have just stuck to coaching and not paid attention to anything else, it would have worked out. But I didn’t, and that’s my fault. I have nothing but good feelings for the Celtics and Boston. I’m the first one to admit that I did not do a good job.”
“Anything that didn’t happen the right way was my fault, and I take ownership for that,” he added.
It’s unlikely we’ll ever see a reconciliation between Pitino and the Celtics fanbase, who still rightfully blame him for turning a rough patch into a multi-decade title drought — but it’s still satisfying on some level to hear his contrition.
It won’t make up for the wilderness era between banners 16 and 17, but as can happen when we dredge up the past, old scores can find a degree of reconciliation even if they won’t be resolved in whole, and other debates long extinguished flare back to life.
The 1996 draft class is often mentioned as one of the best in NBA history – and rightfully so. Its draftees combined for four MVP awards (two for Steve Nash, one apiece for Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson), 42 All-NBA selections and a whopping 68 …
The 1996 draft class is often mentioned as one of the best in NBA history – and rightfully so. Its draftees combined for four MVP awards (two for Steve Nash, one apiece for Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson), 42 All-NBA selections and a whopping 68 All-Star appearances.
Antoine Walker talks about being voted to Chicago’s all-time starting five, how he’d fare in today’s NBA, his off-court endeavors and more.
Leading up to NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, fans had an opportunity to vote on an all-time starting five of Chicago-born players. Derrick Rose, Isiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Anthony Davis and Antoine Walker were crowned the winners, and the results were announced at Posterized: The Chicago Experience (powered by Jim Beam) at the Chicago Sports Museum.
HoopsHype had a chance to chat with Walker shortly after he received this honor. The three-time All-Star averaged 17.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals over the course of his 12-year NBA career. We talked to Walker about Chicago’s all-time starting five, his impressive NBA career, life after basketball, his off-court endeavors, today’s NBA and more.
You were named to Chicago’s all-time starting five and this was announced at Posterized: The Chicago Experience (powered by Jim Beam). What does that honor mean to you?
Antoine Walker: I was excited and it means a lot because we have so much talent coming out of Chicago, including some guys that people don’t even know about. We’ve had so many guys who have made it to the pros and so many guys who have had great careers. To be recognized by people in Chicago and all around the world, it means the world to me. There was some stiff competition too. Mark Aguirre didn’t make the Top 5, but he should be in the Hall of Fame and he should be in the city’s all-time Top 5 because he was one of the greatest players to ever play, but he never gets his just due. To be able to get some just due makes me feel really, really good.
Chicago has produced so many talented players over the years. Why do you think we’ve seen so many great players come from Chicago and is there something that this city’s players have in common?
AW: I think we’ve seen so many great players come from Chicago because of the foundation that was laid down a long time ago when you think about guys like Mark Aguirre, Isiah Thomas, Maurice Cheeks and Tim Hardaway. Honestly, I also believe it’s because of the media. There’s a lot of coverage of Chicago sports and it starts at such an early age. I remember being in eighth grade and being ranked the No. 1 eighth-grader in the state. I think because we put such an emphasis on the sport of basketball, that makes a lot of kids want to play. We’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of pros come out of this city. Our list of pros is just as strong as any other city in the world. This is a sports town and people really get excited about basketball, and they get behind these players and teams. I think that’s why you see [some] people consider it to be the Mecca.
You were ahead of your time with your three-point shooting. People used to criticize your shot selection because you attempted a lot of threes, but with how the game has evolved, clearly you were onto something. Do you feel vindicated?
AW: Oh, without question! I probably would’ve made $300 million in today’s NBA, if I could’ve played in this day and age! But I think it shows the skill level of big men. We’re seeing that big guys can do some of the things that small guys can do. It was a tough time for me when I was doing it; I used to get ripped for shooting so many threes. But I really give Jim O’Brien a lot of credit. When he took over for Rick Pitino, he’s the one who instilled that confidence in me as a shooter. He’d say, “Anytime you get an opportunity to shoot, shoot it!” Once he put that confidence in me, I didn’t have a problem shooting. I wasn’t bashful. (laughs) I went out there and played my game. Now, playing that way is looked at as exciting. And it is fun to watch! Watching some of these big men take the ball full-court, coast to coast, and then seeing some of these centers be able to step out and shoot threes – guys like Marc Gasol and Anthony Davis – it makes for a fun style of basketball.
Are there any current players who remind you of yourself?
AW: Hmm, I don’t know. I like Draymond Green and his all-around game. He’s a better defender, but as far as his skill set – pushing the basketball, getting other guys shots and things like that… I probably shot the three better than him, but I really like the way he plays. I like Giannis Antetokoumpo’s versatility and long arms and ability to make plays for other people. I like all forwards who get five or six assists per game, the guys who are really good passers. Those are the guys who I really enjoy watching – not necessarily that our games are similar, but more so that our mindset and the way we approach the game are similar. I really enjoy watching those guys play.
What was it like making the transition to broadcasting and how are you enjoying that?
AW: The transition has been great because it gave me a chance to be connected to the game again. I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m a student of the game and I love the NBA game as well as the college game. I watch basketball every single day. It’s part of my life, so to be able to now talk about it every day is really special to me. A lot of guys don’t get an opportunity to continue to do what we love and still be a part of this game at the level that I’m at, so I don’t take it for granted. I really love the opportunity to talk about the game that I love.
Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
If you could go back and give 20-year-old Antoine advice, what would it be?
AW: It would probably be teaching him about generational wealth. I never thought about generational wealth when I was playing and making a lot of money. I would make sure that I have enough money not only for myself but for my kids and their kids. I wish somebody would’ve taught me about generational wealth and how I wouldn’t be able to play this game forever and that, after I retire, I’d still have the rest of my life to live. I wish somebody would’ve told me that at age 20.
That’s what I would tell my 20-year-old self, and that’s what I make sure to tell all of these young guys who are playing in the league now. I just try to turn a negative into a positive and teach these young guys. When you’re 19 or 20 years old, you just see that you’re making a lot of money right now, but one day that comes to an end. Make sure you’ve put aside enough money for yourself and your kids and their kids. Make sure you have generational wealth.
In the past, we’ve discussed your bankruptcy and work as a financial adviser to athletes. I know you work with Edyoucore and Greg Oden recently became an athlete advisor with them as well. Greg told me that while he enjoys it, he hopes that these athletes listen and actually apply these lessons. When you’ve talked to players, how do they typically respond and does it seem like your advice sinks in?
AW: I think it really is impacting them. I think it starts a conversation and I think it puts a lot of things on their mind since they’re dealing with their own personal situations. They may not publicly come out and say that they’re taking that advice, but I know that a lot of them are taking it wholeheartedly and applying it to their life. I think you’re going to see that the percentage of athletes and entertainers who have financial problems after their career ends is going to change. And I think it’s because of these types of programs, which are very impactful. You’d be surprised how many guys come up to me afterward to thank me for coming and thank me for sharing my story and ask for more information. They talk about how they’re going to take that information and use it in their own life and make the right decisions. I think this is going to be a tremendous help, and I think it’s off to a great start.
In addition to the financial advising and broadcasting, do you have any other off-court endeavors you’re working on?
AW: I’m coming out with a book, hopefully here in the next two months. It’s going to be a financial-literacy learning tool for everybody – not just athletes. I want to share my story and the things that I’ve learned. And I just want to continue to grow. I’m very comfortable in the space that I’m in right now. I want to continue to grow my TV career to where I can continue to be a TV analyst for 10-15 more years. I want to continue to grow in that space.
But I also have aspirations of one day working for an NBA team, maybe in a front office. I’d like to try to build a championship team. I believe that I have a very good basketball IQ and I think I know the game very well, so I think I could be a positive addition to any front office. That’s on my bucket list – hopefully one day I can work for a team and help them win a championship.
Who was the toughest defender you ever faced? Were there certain players you dreaded facing because they’d lock you down?
AW: I would say it was the guys with length, like Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Rasheed Wallace. Those kind of guys were very tough for me to go up against. Because of their length, I wasn’t really able to post them up the way I would like to, so I would always have to take them off the dribble or step back and shoot the three.
But the guy who was probably the toughest to score against was probably Dennis Rodman. That goes back to my first couple of years in the league. I played against Dennis in ‘96, ‘97 and ‘98 during their championship runs and he was tough as nails and so hard to score against. Those guys were really the ones who gave me trouble. Length was something that always bothered me.
Chicago’s all-time starting five was announced at Posterized: The Chicago Experience, which was a fun event that showcased Chicago’s food, music and art. What did you think of the party?
AW: I loved it, man. I thought it was a great event. When you think about how the All-Star Game hadn’t been in Chicago in 32 years, I thought they did a great job highlighting our city – and not just the basketball. The concept behind the Posterized event was showing people Chicago and what it’s like; it wasn’t just about our basketball. Obviously, it was built around basketball and All-Star Weekend, but it highlighted Garrett’s Popcorn, Chicago dogs, step dancing and teaching people how we dance, our art, the celebrities who came out were from Chicago and have been influential in Chicago and things like that. I thought it was great and it showed Chicago in a different light. I really enjoyed the event, and I loved being a part of it. And it was extra exciting that I got some love while I was there, finishing in the all-time Top 5! It was great all around.
