Samaki Walker facts for kids
Samaki Walker at the White House in 2002
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 25, 1976 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Louisville (1994–1996) |
| NBA Draft | 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall |
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | |
| Pro career | 1996–2011 |
| Career history | |
| 1996–1999 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1999–2001 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2001–2003 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2003–2004 | Miami Heat |
| 2004–2005 | Washington Wizards |
| 2005–2006 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2006 | UNICS Kazan |
| 2007 | Santa Barbara Breakers |
| 2007–2008 | Al-Jalaa Aleppo |
| 2008–2009 | Club Sagesse |
| 2009 | Shandong Lions |
| 2009–2010 | Seoul SK Knights |
| 2010–2011 | Al-Jalaa Aleppo |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 2,376 (5.3 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,089 (4.7 rpg) |
| Blocks | 316 (0.7 bpg) |
Samaki Ijuma Walker (born February 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a power forward and center. Samaki Walker played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. He was chosen in the 1996 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Walker also played for other NBA teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won an NBA championship in 2002. After his time in the NBA, he played in different leagues around the world.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Samaki Walker was born in Columbus, Ohio. He was the youngest of seven children in his family. He went to two different high schools: Eastmoor High School and Whitehall-Yearling High School.
College Basketball Success
Samaki Walker played college basketball at the University of Louisville. He had two great seasons with the Cardinals. He made history by getting the first "triple-double" for his school. A triple-double means getting double-digit numbers (10 or more) in three different stats in one game. Samaki had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 blocks against the Kentucky Wildcats. His 11 blocks in that game were also a school record!
After two successful years, Walker decided to enter the 1996 NBA draft. He was picked ninth overall by the Dallas Mavericks. On draft day, he got a lot of attention for wearing a cool all-white suit with a matching fedora hat.
Playing in the NBA
Starting with the Dallas Mavericks
At 6 feet 9 inches tall, Samaki Walker was a strong power forward. He became the youngest player to ever play a game for the Dallas Mavericks. In the 1997–98 season, he had his best numbers with the Mavericks. He averaged 8.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Joining the San Antonio Spurs
In 1999, Walker signed with the San Antonio Spurs. They had just won the NBA championship. He chose to play for the Spurs because he wanted to learn from famous players like David Robinson and Tim Duncan. He played two seasons with the team as a reserve player.
Winning a Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers
In 2001, Samaki Walker joined the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had won two championships in a row and needed a power forward. Walker started in most of the games, averaging 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. He even filled in at center when superstar Shaquille O'Neal was injured.
During the 2002 Western Conference Finals, something interesting happened. In Game 4, Walker made a three-point shot at the end of the first half. However, replays showed he released the ball after the buzzer. Even though the shot counted, it led the NBA to start using instant replay the next season to review plays like that.
The Lakers went on to win the NBA Finals that year. They beat the New Jersey Nets in four games. This gave Samaki Walker his first and only NBA championship ring! Shaquille O'Neal later said that Walker's play was important for the Lakers' championship run.
Later NBA Teams
After his time with the Lakers, Walker played for a few other NBA teams. He signed with the Miami Heat in 2003. The next season, he played for the Washington Wizards. He also had a short time with the Indiana Pacers in the 2005–06 season.
Playing Basketball Around the World
After his NBA career, Samaki Walker played basketball in other countries. In 2006, he played for a team called UNICS Kazan in Russia.
In 2007, he joined Al-Jalaa Aleppo in Syria. With this team, Walker won the Syrian D-1 championship in 2008. He later played for the Shandong Lions in China and the Seoul SK Knights in Korea.
In 2010, he returned to Al-Jalaa Aleppo and won another Syrian League Championship in 2011. He retired from playing basketball shortly after that.
Personal Life and Charity Work
Samaki Walker's first name, "Samaki," means "fish" in the Swahili language. He has three children: two sons named Dibaji and Jabari, and a daughter named Sakima.
Samaki Walker is also involved in charity work. After his nephew passed away from a heart problem in 2001, Walker joined an organization called Start-A-Heart. This group helps provide special machines called automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to schools and other public places. These machines can help save lives during a heart emergency. He also started the Life Choices Foundation, a group that helps young people in Los Angeles stay out of trouble.
See also
In Spanish: Samaki Walker para niños
