LeBron James Praises Spurs Ex Lonnie Walker IV After Lakers' Game 4 Win vs. Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers sent their fans home happy after beating the Golden State Warriors thanks to LeBron James and former San Antonio Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV.

Jeremy Brener | May 9, 2023

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San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs fans are feeling a range of emotions Tuesday after watching Lonnie Walker IV's performance in the Los Angeles Lakers' Game 4 win against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Walker, a former first-round pick by San Antonio in 2018, left the Spurs last summer after signing a one-year "prove it" deal with the Lakers ... and last night, he proved why he can be valuable to an NBA roster.

Despite not scoring in the first three quarters, Walker scored 15 of the Lakers' 27 fourth-quarter points to beat the Warriors and take a 3-1 lead in the series.

"It's not even about tonight," LeBron James said in his TNT postgame interview. "I've been telling him, I said, 'Lonnie, stay ready. We're going to need you at some point.' And for him to be as young as he is, for him to have that professionalism, come out, stay ready when his number is called. We don't win this game without Lonnie Walker tonight, that's for sure."

Walker was a consistent role player for the Spurs across his four seasons in San Antonio, averaging 9.4 points per game. However, the Spurs only made the playoffs during Walker's rookie season, where he contributed the least out of his four years.

Seeing Walker's success on such a large stage can be gratifying for Spurs fans, but can also leave them wondering ... what if?

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Published May 9, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.