All Hornets

Kemba, Kobe, & D-Rose Get Major Respect From Jrue Holiday

Former Hornets guard Kemba Walker revealed as one of the toughest covers in basketball.

Schuyler Callihan

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
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During a short clip taped by FIBA, Team USA guard Jrue Holiday was asked who were the top three toughest opponents he has ever had to guard and he replied, "Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant and Kemba Walker."

Walker is arguably the best player to ever suit up for purple and teal, leaving the organization as the all-time leader in points (12,009), minutes (20,607), field goals (4,164), three-point field goals (1,283), and free throws (2,398). He officially retired from the game of basketball earlier this offseason after spending this past season playing professionally in Monaco.

The Hornets took Walker with the 9th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of UConn and it didn't take long for him to become the face of the franchise. In year two, he started all 82 games and averaged over 17 points per game. By the time he reached his mid-20s, he went on a four-year run of making it to the All-Star Game, stretching from 2016-2020.

Following the 2018-19 season, Walker was traded to the Boston Celtics in the deal that netted Terry Rozier. He spent two years there, one year with the New York Knicks, and his final season in the NBA was with the Dallas Mavericks in 2022-23, appearing in just nine games.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

schuylercallihan(at)gmail.com  Twitter:@Callihan_ Schuyler Callihan is the lead publisher of Mountaineers Now, All Panthers, and All Hornets on FanNation/Sports Illustrated. He took over publishing duties of All Panthers in 2020 and wanted to expand his professional coverage in the Queen City by running the operations at All Hornets. Schuyler attended Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia before finishing up his schooling at Alamance Community College in Graham, North Carolina. The Wheeling, West Virginia native made the move to North Carolina in 2015 and has been in Charlotte since 2021.

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