Kemba Walker takes his talents to Europe, signs with AS Monaco

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Kemba Walker just found his new home.

After being waived by the Dallas Mavericks during the post-All-Star break of the 2022-2023 NBA Season, the former superstar point guard and the franchise player of the Charlotte Hornets had a new lease on life after signing with professional basketball club AS Monaco currently competing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

The announcement was made official last July 22, 2023, after AS Monaco welcomed Walker with open arms in a series of graphic posts on their various social media accounts.

According to multiple reports, Walker signed a one-year contract with AS Monaco and will look to bring another championship title once he dons their jersey in the upcoming season.

AS Monaco is coming off a stellar EuroLeague campaign after taking down the Victor Wembanyama-led team to nab the French Pro A league championships.

With Walker’s addition, the team is expected to run it back and contend for the EuroLeague title once again. The flashy point guard will be teaming up with another NBA talent in Mike James who once suited up for the Brooklyn Nets.

It was just a roller coaster ride for Walker once he got hounded by injuries during the 2019-2020 NBA season.

Walker had several recurring knee injuries that slowed his game down, the main reason why the Boston Celtics signed Kyrie Irving to replace him.

The New York Knicks gave Walker a chance to redeem himself after acquiring him in the 2021-2022 NBA season but again and again, the floor general failed to stay healthy and wasn’t able to play all regular season games.

In retrospect, Walker was considered one of the best point guards in the NBA during his prime years and was named to the NBA All-Star selection four-straight times.

He averaged 22.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.2 steals during his glory days with the Hornets and took the league by storm using his signature and deadly step-back jumper move.

During the busy NBA off-season when all franchises were making sign and trades to fortify their respective rosters, Walker failed to enter the pool, leaving his name in the free agency list who is yet to be signed by a team.