Jimmy Walker (basketball, born 1944) facts for kids
Walker in 1969
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 8, 1944 Amherst, Virginia |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | July 2, 2007 (aged 63) Kansas City, Missouri |
| High school | Laurinburg Institute (Laurinburg, North Carolina) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Providence (1964–1967) |
| NBA Draft | 1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall |
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | |
| Pro career | 1967–1976 |
| Career history | |
| 1967–1972 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1972–1973 | Houston Rockets |
| 1973–1976 | Kansas City-Omaha / Kansas City Kings |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 11,655 (16.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,860 (2.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,429 (3.5 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
James "Jimmy" Walker (born April 8, 1944 – died July 2, 2007) was an American professional basketball player. He was a talented guard who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jimmy Walker played for nine seasons, from 1967 to 1976. He was a member of the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, and Kansas City-Omaha / Kansas City Kings.
Walker was chosen for the All-Star team two times. He scored a total of 11,655 points during his career. Jimmy Walker was also the father of former NBA player Jalen Rose. Walker passed away on July 2, 2007, at 63 years old, due to health problems from lung cancer.
Contents
Early Life and School Years
Jimmy Walker grew up in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. This is where he first started his journey in basketball.
He went to Laurinburg Institute, a special school in North Carolina. After that, he earned a scholarship to play basketball at Providence College. A scholarship helps pay for college because of a student's skills.
College Basketball Career
Jimmy Walker played college basketball at Providence College. His coach there was Joe Mullaney.
Comparing Walker to Other Stars
At Providence, many people compared Walker's playing style to Oscar Robertson. Robertson was a huge basketball star at the time. Walker was also compared to Michigan star Cazzie Russell.
Top Scorer in College
As a junior, Walker averaged 23 points per game. In his senior year, he led the entire nation in scoring. He averaged an amazing 30 points per game. His best game was in 1965 when he scored 50 points. This happened in a tournament final where Providence beat Boston College Eagles 91-86. Walker was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of that tournament. He also won MVP again in 1966. He was the first player to win the Holiday Festival MVP award two years in a row.
New Dribbling Style
Jimmy Walker was known for being one of the first college players to use the "between-the-legs" dribble. This move is now very common in basketball. It helps players change direction quickly.
Breaking Records
In his senior year (1966–67), Walker led the country in scoring. He averaged 30.4 points per game. He even passed Lew Alcindor (who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in scoring that season. Walker's total of over 2,000 career points was a record at Providence for 40 years. This record was finally broken in 2005 by Ryan Gomes. Walker achieved this in only three seasons. Back then, first-year students (freshmen) were not allowed to play on the main varsity team.
Final College Game
Walker's college career ended in the quarterfinals of the 1967 NIT. He scored 36 points in that game. However, Providence lost to Marquette 81-80 in overtime. Walker later said that missing a jump shot at the end of that game was his only regret at Madison Square Garden.
Overall, in his three seasons at Providence, Walker played 81 games. He averaged 25.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
NBA Professional Career
In 1967, Jimmy Walker was the very first player chosen in the 1967 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons. He was also the first player chosen in the first American Basketball Association Draft by the Indiana Pacers. This was a big deal because 1967 was the first year the NBA stopped its "territorial draft." This old rule allowed teams to pick college players close to their city.
Interestingly, Walker was also the very last player picked in the 1967 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. This is known as "Mr. Irrelevant." He had never played college football. This makes him the only athlete ever drafted first by one professional league (or two, in his case) and last by another.
Playing in the NBA
Even though he played in two NBA All-Star games, some people felt Walker didn't reach his full potential. This was partly because he gained weight, which affected his quickness. Still, he was a very good player. He averaged 20.9 points per game in the 1969–70 season. He averaged 21.3 points in 1971–72 and 19.8 points in 1973–74. Over his nine-year career, he averaged almost 17 points per game. These numbers are even more impressive because he played alongside other star guards. These included Dave Bing in Detroit and Nate Archibald in Kansas City-Omaha.
In total, Jimmy Walker played 698 games in the NBA. He played for the Detroit Pistons (1967–1972), Houston Rockets (1972–1973), and Kansas City Kings (1973–1976). He averaged 16.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game during his NBA career.
Honors and Legacy
Providence College has a special basketball award named after him. It is called the Jimmy Walker Most Valuable Player Award.
In 2008, Providence College honored Walker's jersey number. This was part of "The Friar Legends Forever Tradition." This tradition celebrates important players in the school's history.
His son, Jalen Rose, hosted a special event at Providence in 2014.
Personal Life
Jimmy Walker's son, Jalen Rose, is also a famous former NBA player. At his father's funeral in 2007, Jalen Rose shared his feelings. He said he was sad they never got to meet in person. He mentioned they had planned to meet that very month. They had spoken on the phone several times before Jimmy Walker passed away.
See also
In Spanish: Jimmy Walker para niños
