Two Former Lakers Face Off Against One Another in EuroLeague

Ricardo Klein | Nov 23, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Los Angeles Lakers logo on the shorts of forward LeBron James (23) against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The NBA season may be well underway, but it isn't the only league with top-tier talent. Although the NBA is only limited to roughly 520 players, there are many more talented players who play the game, and not every single NBA team has room for them. 

So, they must take their talents elsewhere. Plenty of talented players play overseas, including former Lakers guards Lonnie Walker and Kendrick Nunn. 

Walker and Nunn faced off against each other, with Walker's Zalgiris Kaunas taking on Nunn's Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, who had a final score of 84-77 with Zalgiris Kaunas coming out on top. 

This is Walker's first time playing overseas, and he had his best game thus far. He recorded 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. 

After the game, Walker discussed what went right for him and his team. 

"We started off hungry, and we knew that they were going to crawl their way back in the 2nd quarter," Walker saidstraight after the game. "They were fighting back. I got to pick it up from start to finish, and I think my teammates did a wonderful job on both ends of the floor."

"Our last three practices have been terrific. We've been pushing each other, we've been working really hard. So, I think that was a key factor as far as how we played," Walker continued.

The 25-year-old didn't just light up the scoreboard but made the stadium rock with this fantastic highlight. 

LONNIE WALKER IV DID THIS IN THE EUROLEAGUE 😱pic.twitter.com/DfpNL26o8s

— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) November 22, 2024

"It doesn't really set the tone for me," Walker said after the game. "You know, I'm a scorer, like I always say. I'm always going to get it going, regardless of the situation. I think it was more of setting the tone for my team, and they kind of put all of us align. Not just for myself but for my teammates."

"It's all credit to my teammates. They instilled so much confidence in me, and it was a terrific team game here," Walker continued.

The former Lakers guard Nunn joined the Panathinaikos when the season had already started last year. The Chicago native helped his team clinch the EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin after a dry spell of twelve years last season. Nunn also went on to win the EuroLeague title in his first season in Europe and earned All-EuroLegaue First team honors. 

Nunn's time in the EuroLeague has been far more successful than his time in the NBA, especially his final season with the Lakers. 

More Ball Around: Bronny James Receives Big3 League Invite From Ice Cube