Raptors 1st Round Pick Shares His Excitement As He joins Toronto

Toronto Raptors first-round pick Ja'Kobe Walter says it meant the world to him being drafted with the No. 19 pick in the first round of Wednesday's NBA draft

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ja'Kobe Walter poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Toronto Raptors in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Ja'Kobe Walter didn't even know the Toronto Raptors were interested in him.

The 19-year-old freshman out of Baylor never worked out for Toronto. Frankly, he'd never even been to Canada. And yet, when the phone call came Wednesday night it was a dream come true.

"Meant the world to me," said Walter who Toronto selected with the No. 19 pick. "Me and my family have talked about this for a long time. I prayed so many times for just this moment right here. So now that it's finally here. It's just dreams into reality, and I’m just grateful."

Last season hadn't quite gone as planned for the 6-foot-4.25 shooting guard.

He'd joined the Bears as one of the top prospects in the country and a five-star shooting guard expected to be a lights-out scorer for the Bears. He'd dominated high school in Texas and scouts viewed Walter as someone who wouldn't miss a beat at the next level.

But Walter only showed flashes of that offensive brilliance as a freshman.

He averaged 14.5 points and 1.4 while shooting 37.6% from the floor and 34.1% from three-point range. In moments, his pull-up game looked impressive, but his shots just didn't fall as often as anyone had anticipated

That's something Walter hopes to change moving forward. He said he's focused on improving as a shot creator and reminding people that he can score in a hurry.

 "I consider myself a competitor, a scorer, and a two-way player," said Walter who averaged 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game last season. "Somebody that will sacrifice their body on the defensive end kind of to do whatever it takes to win."

Part of that comes from his background growing up as a football player in Texas. Walter was an "athlete," he said, and someone who played everywhere on the field. Had he stuck with it, Walter may have had a chance to do something as a football player down the road. But his early success in basketball proved too much to turn away from and it wasn't long before Walter was hooked on basketball.

Walter will venture north for the first time in the next few days and begin to get acclimated to the Raptors organization. He's watched tape on Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley dating back to their days in college and said he's excited to join them as soon as possible.

"I'm just trying to make an immediate impact in any way," Walter said. "I can do whatever they need me to do coming in. I'm gonna do it for 'em and really just trying to bring that winning intensity."