The Boston Celtics may have lost Kyrie Irving, but they have replaced him with the next best thing, agreeing to sign former Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker to a four-year deal.

Walker played his collegiate basketball at the University of Connecticut and led the Huskies to a national title, so he is very familiar with playing ball in New England.

Now, he will get to do it at the professional level, and he is prepared to lead his new Celtics club:

“I’m a leader in my own way,” Walker wrote for The Players' Tribune after agreeing to sign in Boston. “I’m never going to shout anyone off the court, or get overly negative. It’s not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates better — I’m that lead by example type. I like to keep it direct.”

Boston certainly needs a leader in its locker room right now, as veteran Al Horford also departed in free agency, so if Walker can fill that void, it would be huge for the C's:

“And then one last thing about me: I’m a winner. I’ve always been a winner,” wrote Walker. “It’s who I am — or at least who I strive to be — anytime I step foot on the court. And when I think about my future with this team, and how I’m now going to be playing for the Celtics….. I mean, that’s why I feel like it’s a match made in heaven. I want to win here, badly — and I’m excited to prove myself as that type of player in this league. I want to elevate myself into that Boston winning tradition. I want to get this team back on top.”

The Celtics have won 17 championships, more than any other NBA franchise, but right now, Boston does not resemble a title contender, as there are too many holes on the roster that need patching up.

Still, Walker is looking forward to the challenge:

“And Boston….. I’ll see you all in September,” he concluded. “I’m ready. I’m truly ready. Let’s do this.”

It should be a lot of fun to see how he fits in with the talented roster.