Chicago Bulls point guard Walter Lemon Jr., a relatively unknown name just a few days ago, had such an impressive debut for his new team on Saturday that allowed him to make a little bit of noise as the season winds down.
The 27-year-old recorded 19 points (on 8-of-15 shooting), four rebounds, six assists, four steals, and a block in 31 minutes off the Bulls bench. Chicago has been dealing with a slew of injuries of late, and this gave a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Lemon, who happily obliged.
Following his memorable debut, the 6-foot-3 guard shared what it was like to play his first game for such a historic franchise such as the Bulls.
“I was nervous, excited,” he said, via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “Part of me didn’t want to mess up. Part of me was a little emotional because, you know, I got a Bulls jersey on me. And I’m from here. It was just a lot of emotions in one. I wanted to play the right way and just really show people who Walt Lemon is. I think I did that for the most part and I have to keep building on it.”
Lemon admitted that never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would be placed in such a fortuitous position.
“If you would have told me a couple of days ago that I was going to play 30 minutes against the Raptors — the No. 2 team in the East — on the Bulls’ floor, let alone play 30 minutes in an NBA game, period, I wouldn’t believe you,” Lemon said. “This is definitely a surreal moment for me. And I’m going to never forget it. I’m going to cherish this moment for the rest of my life.”
Despite's Lemon's unforgettable moment, the Bulls would still go on to lose against the Toronto Raptors, 124-101, as their season continues to get from bad to worse.
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