Lonnie Walker is on a quest to bring his basketball journey full circle originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON — Lonnie Walker IV always seems to be smiling. But his grin only grows wider when presented with a picture he posted to social media after signing with the Boston Celtics in August.
It’s a snapshot of a young Walker, decked out in the Celtics winter cap, standing in the balcony at TD Garden. He smiles of course.
“This is one of my first NBA games with my godfather, Geo,” Walker told NBC Sports Boston. “My godparents are Italian so they’re die-hard Boston Celtics fans to say the least. So I kind of grew up watching the Celtics and this is actually one of my first [NBA] games I have to watch.”
Walker, a native of Reading, Pa., made the 400-mile trek to Boston to visit TD Garden during the most recent Big Three era.
“They knew how much I loved basketball,” Walker said. “Watching Paul Pierce and all of them play, this was really my first time watching the big leagues and I was like, ‘Wow.’ I have so much to learn, so much to grow.’”
Looking at the Celtics’ No. 12 jersey on his chest, Walker’s smile widens again.
“This is a very full circle moment for me,” he said.
Eyebrows across the league went sky high in late August when Walker committed to join the defending champion Celtics in an Exhibit 10 dealwhich is basically a training camp invitation for a player hoping to make the team’s roster.
Celtics brass were clear that, with 14 players already signed and the team set to navigate severe luxury tax penalties, there was no guarantee they would fill their 15th spot. Walker came to Boston knowing a more likely scenario would be being waived at the end of the preseason and landing with the team’s G-League affiliate in Maine.
There are dozens of players in camps this month on Expo 10 offers. Few have 322 games of NBA experience and have proven themselves to be reliable bench scoring options at this level.
Walker, the 18th pick of the San Antonio Spurs in the 2018 NBA Draft, could sit around waiting for a team to offer him a guaranteed spot, or simply frown when nothing came. Instead, he accepted the challenge to once again prove that he belongs on an NBA roster.
“The road is a little different for me, personally,” Walker said. “I’m on the E10 right now, still trying to grind and get everything together and get the warranty, but there’s nothing better than being with a winning team, nothing better than having a culture that has a winning mentality, and that’s something. that builds you, individually and generally for the team.”
And why is he willing to bet on himself?
“Mental strength,” Walker said. “That’s something that I really instill in myself. Every day I believe in myself, the amount of work that I put in, the amount of time and sacrifice that I put into this game. Sooner or later, the preparation has to meet the opportunity. So I’m very patient, understanding what I have to do. And whenever my time is called, I know I’m mentally and physically ready.”
Walker averaged a career-best 12.1 points per game in 70 appearances for the Spurs during the 2021–22 season. He joined LeBron James’ Lakers the following season and made 32 starts in 56 appearances. Last year, Walker averaged 9.7 points over 17.4 minutes per game in a bench role with the Brooklyn Nets.
In a league with 450 rosters, it seems like there should be room somewhere for Walker. But he’s pleased with the opportunity to show he can help Boston. After all, it would bring his basketball journey full circle.
But that young Walker — and maybe even the now 25-year-old Walker — could never have really envisioned actually wearing the Celtics jersey.
“Never in a million years, to say the least,” Walker said. “It hasn’t fully hit me yet, but it’s definitely a beautiful sight, kind of like a full circle, you know? Just being in the right place at the right time and, by the grace of God, everything will go the right way.
“This is a championship organization coming off a championship year. It means a lot [to put on this jersey]and you kind of come in here with the championship mentality, not skipping any steps, being to the best of your ability, you owe it to your teammates every day to be 100 percent and be ready, mentally and physically.”
The decision to join Boston was made easier by the presence of familiar faces, including Derrick White, after the two came together in San Antonio. Walker spent part of this past offseason working with Celtics guard Jrue Holiday and impressed the veteran with his work ethic.
“We just finished working together in the summer, kind of putting in that grind, working out. If it’s in the weight room or if it’s on the court,” Holiday said. “Just knowing the work ethic. He has the ability to do a lot of things. He’s very athletic and can score. I think being on a team like this, we can take advantage of his ability. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play here? …
“A very positive, very positive person. You see him. He’s always smiling. A very, very grateful guy. So really, really glad to have him here.”
Before training camp started, it wasn’t unusual to find Walker in the gym at 6 a.m. (“Early bird gets the worm,” he shrugs). He suggests that he gets his work ethic from his father, Lonnie Walker III, who pushed him hard, including to prioritize academics as a child. It’s not uncommon to see Walker among the final players on the court after practice, often navigating long post-practice shooting drills.
Off the court, Walker loves horror movies. This is his time of year. He subscribed to Shudder, a thriller-themed web series. At one point during our chat, he excitedly remarks how close we are to Halloween-friendly Salem. But, like many non-New Englanders, he affectionately pronounces it, “Sah-lum.” Just wait until he has to try to say Gloucester. However, getting up to Salem is on his October to-do list.
But first he has to show Boston brass that he can help this team.
Walker may have to adjust his playing style a bit if he ever lands on the parent list. His scoring potential is obvious, but his usage last season was a robust 23.0 percent (ranking in the 89th percentile among all wings, according to Cleaning the Glass data) and he benefited from having the ball in his hands often in Brooklyn.
With Boston, he should embrace being more of a catch-and-shoot guy. Walker shot 38.4 percent on all 3-point attempts last season and that number spiked to a robust 45 percent on all corner 3-pointers. His effective field goal percentage last season was 13.2 percent higher on catch-and-shoots (59.9) than pull-ups (46.7).
The 6-foot-4 Walker has good size and a 6-foot-10 wingspan that should allow him to thrive as a perimeter defender. It’s another level he can tap into on that side of the ball.
Walker did not play much in Boston’s two preseason games in Abu Dhabi. He was among the team’s final reserves to hit the floor, which underscores his upward roster climb. Walker missed all six of his shot attempts in 22 minutes of play. He hesitated at times and dribbled into difficult shots. He needs to make quicker decisions and shoot with confidence to win over the coaching staff here.
But he likes coach Joe Mazzulla’s blunt style. During one of his first mornings at the Auerbach Center, Walker tried to engage his new trainer by asking if he watched the Canelo vs. Berlanga boxing match in mid-September.
“He was like, ‘I don’t watch pillow fights,'” Walker said with a laugh.
“Joe is one of the most, like, quick left turns when it comes to conversations. He loves UFC but he hates boxing … That was about 8 in the morning, just to start it off, so that’s the first ‘Most Joe . thing I’ve experienced so far since I’ve been here.”
Spend some time with Walker and you can’t help but feel the positivity he radiates. His path has not always been easy — in 2020, he revealed the sexual abuse he endured as a child — but no misfortune seems to take away that smile.
Walker hopes the next step in his basketball journey is in Boston. He is ready to embrace the detours, if it is not. All in hopes that it finally brings this basketball journey full circle.
