The previous Celtic will make his EuroLeague debut subsequent season with AS Monaco Basket.
Former Celtics level guard Kemba Walker Slot Resmi is signing a one-year take care of AS Monaco Basket of the EuroLeague.
Walker will be a part of a Monaco group coming off the heels of its first-ever EuroLeague Closing 4 look. The four-time NBA All-Star will begin a brand new chapter in his profession, making his abroad debut after 12 seasons within the NBA.
The Celtics could also be extra gifted now, however does that make them higher?
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The Celtics acquired Walker in a 2019 sign-and-trade that despatched guard Terry Rozier to the Charlotte Hornets, Walker’s prior group. He instantly changed Kyrie Irving as Boston’s start line guard and did his job effectively, averaging 19.9 factors and 4.8 assists per recreation whereas carrying inexperienced. In 2020, Walker made the NBA All-Star recreation for the primary time as a Celtic and the final time in his profession.
Walker was a really productive participant for Boston…when wholesome. Knee points restricted his availability and stored him out for vital durations of time whereas he was in Boston. These accidents brought on the Celtics to maneuver on from Walker in 2021, buying and selling him and two picks to Oklahoma Metropolis for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round decide that might change into Amari Bailey.
The Thunder agreed to purchase out Walker’s contract, and ever since he performed in video games for the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks earlier than the Mavericks waived him on Jan. 6, 2023. Shortly afterward, rumors started to floor that he would be a part of Olimpia Milano, considered one of Italy’s most profitable basketball golf equipment, however nothing got here of them.
He would stay a free agent earlier than lastly transferring to Europe, agreeing to signal with AS Monaco as one of many greatest transfers in EuroLeague historical past.
AS Monaco Basket was based in 1928, attaining reasonable success for his or her first few years as a program. After securing the LNB Professional B (second-best French league) title in 1973, they spent the Nineteen Seventies and Nineteen Eighties as among the finest groups in Europe.
However Monaco’s greatest seasons have been its most up-to-date ones. They gained their first main trophy in April 2023 upon beating ASVEL within the French Basketball Cup. One month later, they turned the third French group to ever make it to the EuroLeague Closing 4.
A month after that, they gained the LNB Professional A (greatest French league) finals by sweeping Metropolitans 92, a group that hosted 2023 NBA Draft Lottery picks Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) and Bilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards). Wembanyama even acknowledged that AS Monaco was one of many 30 greatest groups on the earth, together with these within the NBA.
AS Monaco didn’t obtain its success accidentally. They’ve a really gifted roster of a number of gamers with NBA expertise, together with Mike James, Élie Okobo, Jaron Blossomgame and Dontas Motiejūnas.
Walker will be a part of this star-studded roster as its greatest participant, in addition to among the finest gamers in your entire continent. AS Monaco Basket could also be taking part in a few of its greatest basketball in membership historical past, however the former Celtic is bound to make them even higher.
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