24 Antoine Walker

Antoine Walker was born Antoine Devon Walker on August 12, 1976, in Chicago, Illinois. Raised on the city’s South Side, he became a nationally celebrated prospect at Mount Carmel High School, where he scored more than 2,000 points and established himself as the school’s career scoring leader. Walker averaged 30 points and 12 rebounds as a senior, earned McDonald’s and Parade All-America honors, and arrived at Kentucky in 1994 as one of the nation’s most highly regarded recruits.

Walker’s combination of size, passing ability and confidence made him an ideal fit for Rick Pitino’s fast-paced Wildcats. After earning SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors as a freshman, he blossomed into a first-team All-SEC performer and the leading rebounder on Kentucky’s dominant 1995–96 national championship team. Walker averaged 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds while starting every game for the squad Pitino called “The Untouchables,” helping Kentucky win 25 consecutive games, complete a perfect 16–0 SEC season and capture the program’s sixth NCAA championship.

In the 1996 Final Four, Walker contributed 14 points, four assists and four steals as Kentucky defeated Massachusetts, then collected 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals in the 76–67 championship victory over Syracuse. He entered the NBA after his sophomore season and was selected sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1996 draft. Walker became a three-time NBA All-Star, helped Boston reach the 2002 Eastern Conference finals and won an NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. His accomplishments at Kentucky were recognized with induction into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.