The Charlotte Hornets have had a promising start to their new era. Getting Jeff Peterson in the building late in the 2023-24 season set off a few swift moves once the offseason officially started such as hiring Charles Lee as the head coach, drafting promising talent headlined by Tidjane Salaün, and more. One of the more surprising moves to the masses is when Kemba Walker was added to the coaching staff as a player development coach. The Hornets legend spent eight seasons with the team and had a lot to say about the talent on the roster and more specifically about LaMelo Ball.
Kemba Walker has high hopes for Hornets organization
“I think we can go anywhere that they wanna go,” Walker said when asked about how far the Hornets can go. “We have the right pieces, starting with LaMelo (Ball) who I am a huge fan of. Super excited to get the opportunity to work with him. One of the reasons why I said yes to the job. Unbelievable talent, he's special. Watching him on the court I can really see this organization going really far. Obviously we have to keep him healthy which is one of the most important things. If that kid can stay healthy this organization will go really far.”
Walker brought a lot of electricity to the Hornets in his playing days with the team and it's possible that Ball could replicate that production or even exceed it. Judging from Walker's response, it seems he will wholeheartedly help Ball reach that level.
Kemba Walker's thoughts on being back with the team that drafted him
“It feels good, kinda surreal actually,” Walker said about being back with the Hornets. He was drafted ninth overall back in the 2011 NBA Draft. “It's a full circle moment. I had the best time of my career playing wise. Charlotte means everything. They embraced me from day one, took me in and allowed me to grow with no pressure, which I always appreciated. Charlotte is home for me. I know I've been around with a couple of other teams, but my home always remained in Charlotte.”
Kemba Walker on flipping the switch from playing to coaching
Walker doesn't have any prior coaching experience, but playing in the league for 12 seasons is arguably better than that.
“I'm just here to do what I can to help some of the young guys become better basketball players and better people. A couple of guys already came up to me to ask about working out. I'm gonna be myself, allow them to ask me questions, and try to share my experiences with them. I didn't think I wanted to be a coach, but because of the opportunity and the situation it just made so much sense.”
There's numerous amounts of coaches that are former players throughout the history of the game. Think of Steve Kerr, Chauncey Billups, recently hired JJ Redick, and several more that are assistant coaches. Experience is the best teacher. Having a younger coach in the building that garnered respect in his playing days is a valuable asset to have on a Hornets staff with first-year head coach Charles Lee. Players could lean on Kemba Walker for advice for sure, but Lee can as well if the situation calls for it.
Adding Walker to the coaching staff already feels like a success even though the regular season is still months away. The culture could be shifting into a positive direction. With promising young talent littered around the roster, coaching staff, and the front office, the future looks bright in Charlotte.
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