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January 26, 2017 – The NBA today announced that Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker has been selected as a reserve for the Eastern Conference in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, as voted by head coaches in the conference. It marks Walker’s first career NBA All-Star selection.
Currently in his sixth season, the 26-year-old Walker is averaging career highs in points per game (23.0), field goals per game (8.2), field goal percentage (.456), three-point field goals per game (2.8) and three-point field goal percentage (.411). He has connected on the second-most three-pointers in the Eastern Conference this season (127) and ranks eighth in the conference in points per game.
Originally selected by Charlotte in the first round (ninth overall pick) of the 2011 NBA Draft, the Connecticut product has already tallied 32 games with 20-plus points on the year, which is tied for the fifth-most such games in the Eastern Conference. The point guard is one of only four players in the NBA this season to be averaging 20-plus points on over 45 percent shooting from the field and over 40 percent from three-point range, while also handing out more than five assists per contest, alongside Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry.
Walker’s notable achievements from this season also include becoming just the third player in Hornets history to score more than 1,000 points through the season’s first 45 games, joining Larry Johnson (1992-93) and Glen Rice (1996-97 and 1997-98). With his current totals of 1,037 points, 246 assists, 183 rebounds and 54 steals, he is one of only seven players in the NBA to have totaled over 1,000 points, 225 assists, 175 rebounds and 50 steals already this season.
The Bronx, NY, native ranks second in Charlotte franchise history in 20-point games (164), three-point field goals made (679) and free throws made (1,523). He also ranks third in assists (2,191) and fourth in points (7,344), field goals made (2,571) and games played (409).
Walker joins Larry Johnson (1993 and 1995), Alonzo Mourning (1994 and 1995), Glen Rice (1996, 1997 and 1998), Eddie Jones (2000), Baron Davis (2002) and Gerald Wallace (2010) as the seventh player ever to represent Charlotte in the NBA All-Star Game.