Kemba Walker's Top 5 Career Performances

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BOSTON – The Celtics brought in one of the top free agents of the summer last month when they signed Kemba Walker to a multi-year deal. Before the three-time All-Star point guard steps foot onto the parquet floor, we want to give you a preview of what he’s capable of bringing to the table, so we’ve compiled a list of the top five performances from his eight-year career in Charlotte.

One of the reasons why the Celtics should be excited to have Walker on the squad is that they will no longer have to deal with the arduous responsibility of defending him. The point guard was a nightmare to guard during his four matchups against Boston last season, as he scored 43, 21, 21 and 36 points, respectively. The performance that stood out the most was the latter of those four – a 36-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist, two-steal masterpiece on March 23, 2019, which sparked a massive fourth-quarter comeback for the Hornets. Charlotte trailed by 18 points with less than eight minutes remaining in the game when Walker caught fire. He personally outscored the Celtics 18-5 during the last 7:43 of action, while his teammates combined to add 12 more points, securing a 124-117 win at Spectrum Center. Fortunately for the Celtics, that would be the last episode of their Walker nightmares before signing him three and a half months later.

Only twice in Hornets history has a player logged at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game. Both instances were achieved by Walker, and in nearly identical fashion. Walker’s first 40-point double-double occurred Nov. 11, 2016 against the Toronto Raptors, as he logged 40 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a 113-111 loss, despite personally recording a plus-13 rating. The second instance took place exactly 28 months later on March 11, 2019, as he once again posted 40 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, this time in a 118-106 loss to the Houston Rockets. Of his 44 career double-doubles, these two were undoubtedly Walker’s finest.

Over the years, Walker has established himself as one of the NBA’s elite 3-point threats. His most prolific outing from beyond the arc took place March 22, 2018 when he knocked down 10-of-14 from deep in a 140-79 blowout over the Memphis Grizzlies. Including free-throws, Walker missed the net only five times in 28 attempts that night. He canned 3-of-4 from inside the arc, as well as 10-of-10 from the free-throw line, giving him 46 points to go along with four assists, three rebounds and a steal during just 28 minutes of action. Walker alone netted six more 3-pointers than the Grizzlies did as an entire team, as he and his ridiculous plus-47 rating helped to carry the Hornets to the sixth-largest blowout win in NBA history.

The Jan. 18, 2016 double-overtime thriller between the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz was not only one of the greatest team battles of the 2015-16 season; it also featured one of the greatest individual battles of the campaign, as Walker and Gordon Hayward traded buckets for 58 minutes. Both players logged season highs in the scoring department that night, as Walker dropped a then career-high of 52 points, while Hayward netted 36 points of his own. Both players also excelled beyond the arc, netting six 3-pointers apiece, and both were key facilitators as well, recording eight and nine assists, respectively. The two were neck-and-neck at the end of regulation, with Walker holding a slight, 35-33 scoring advantage over Hayward. However, Walker kicked into a higher gear once overtime began, as he outscored Hayward 17-4 during the two extra periods to lead his Hornets to a 124-119 victory. As enjoyable as that individual battle was, the pair of longtime friends will surely have more fun teaming up this season as they join forces together in Boston.

Only six active players have broken the 60-point mark in a single game. This past season, Walker became one of them. On Nov. 11, 2018, just two nights before dropping 43 points on the Celtics, Walker poured in a career-best 60 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. He connected on 21-of-34 from the field, 6-of-14 from deep, and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line, while also chipping in seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Despite logging his highest individual scoring total in franchise history, which included 37 points after halftime, Walker’s Hornets still lost 122-119 in overtime. Regardless of the result, the performance unquestionably goes down as the top performance of Walker’s eight-year career, as he joined the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Devin Booker, James Harden, LeBron James and Klay Thompson as the only active members of the 60-point club.