Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown send retirement message to Kemb Walker

After being known for his incredible clutch gene in college to his All-Star status, Kemba Walker has finally retired from the game. He was known for many things, such as his time with the Charlotte Hornets. However, he was also instrumental in the development of the Boston Celtics’ deadly duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. So it was only fitting that the NBA Championships honor their former veteran.

Much love to Kemb Walker

“I quit playing. It was a hell of a streak. It was a streak that I still can’t understand today. I still can’t believe what I’ve accomplished in my basketball career, especially with all the doubts I had at the beginning,” were the last words Kemba Walker said before quitting basketball.

Naturally, everyone in the NBA world was shocked by this decision. He still had power to give, but he was no longer given opportunities in the league. The 34-year-old spent his last stint with the Dallas Mavericks. He played nine games with them before ending up overseas. Nevertheless, Brown and Tatum showed him some affection, via Excel Sports.

While his career ended in an unfortunate way, his impact cannot be underestimated. He helped shape the Celtics into what they are today. His playmaking and ball skills taught Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum how to be better all-around players. After all, he played two seasons with the Celtics before joining the New York Knicks.

Even after his departure, he made an impact on the Celtics. It was his trade that brought Oklahoma City Thunder veteran Al Horford back to the Celtics in 2021. Beantown then got their former leader back along with Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick. The 2023 NBA Draft pick was then used to acquire Jordan Walsh. He ended up helping the Celtics’ main roster and the G League team in Maine.

Banner 18 had Walker’s marks all over it. Unfortunately, he had to be traded to achieve the ultimate goal.

His time with the Celtics

His run under Brad Stevens was arguably the last great stretch of his career. In two seasons, he managed to average 19.9 points per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the field. In addition, he was also able to dish out four assists per night to help the Celtics play winning basketball. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to experience playing with an intense TD Garden roaring to his name because both of those seasons took place during the pandemic.

Walker didn’t just make an impact on offense with the Celtics. He was also a great guard partner for Marcus Smart. Proof of that is that he averaged one steal per game as a guard for the Memphis Grizzlies. His versatile work was more than appreciated by this team.

It was a long career that had to end at some point. Celtics fans should just be grateful to have been a part of this wild ride of a legendary player.