CHARLOTTE — As Kemba Walker was playing his last season of professional basketball in Monaco, he received a call from his agent.
Jeff Peterson wanted to know if Walker had any interest in joining the coaching staff that Charles Lee was assembling.
Walker said he had never considered coaching. But he knew that his time on the court was winding down, and this would keep him close to the game and bring him back home.
“I didn’t think I would ever want to be a coach,” Walker said. “Especially as a player, I’m like, yeah, I don’t want to be a coach. Coaches get on my nerves.”
But when Lee was hired, Walker joined his staff as a player enhancement coach.
“My favorite part is having the opportunity to still be on the court, teaching guys moves, or putting guys through drills, or even just getting the opportunity to still get out there and play,” he said.
He spent time developing the talents of players like LaMelo Ball, Kon Kneuppel, and Brandon Miller.
While the work took sacrifice from him and the players, Walker said he has been glad to watch their talents grow.
Channel 9 sat down with Kemba Walker ahead of the play-in game on Tuesday. Hear more from the interview in the video at the top of this page.
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