Kemba Walker talks coaching Hornets and future after basketball

CHARLOTTE — Kemba Walker took one day after retirement to announce his next move. With the decision taken out of his hands to stop playing, he decided to stay as close to the NBA as he could for now.

"Nothing (inspired me)," he joked to CLNS Media/ Celtics Blog. "I don't know why I did it."

"Charles (Lee) called me. I knew I was gonna retire, so Charles called me, asked if I wanted to be part of this. I felt like it was a no brainer, to be honest. I live in Charlotte, I've lived here since I got drafted here. I've done so many great things here. We have some great young talent. I just wanted to be around the game still, do what I can to help. It's the closest thing to the game. I love basketball so much."

Walker left the NBA after a short stint with the Mavericks in 2023, joining AS Monaco in France for what became his final season of his career. He played only 11 minutes per game in 26 games with the club, loving his experience in France and even learning some of the language, which he's lost by now, before finding peace with the decision to finally walk away.

Now, weeks into his first season on the sideline, he has no regrets despite injuries sending his career sideways at 31.

That physical decline accelerated in Boston, where he signed following an eight-year career that helped establish the Bobcats and late became the Hornets in 2014. After an all-star start to the 2019-20 campaign, he dealt with knee soreness in the Bubble, then to begin the following season that began shortly after the previous one. Walker missed the start of the year, then time throughout before more pain forced him out of the team's first round loss to Brooklyn. Brad Stevens traded him to Oklahoma City for Al Horford in his first move as president, which allowed him to play for his hometown New York Knicks after his release.

Walker, nonetheless, appeared through the tunnel during Boston's shootaround on Friday with the smile on his face. He greeted the many coaches who remain on the staff from his time with the Celtics, including Tony Dobbins, greeted Jayson Tatum and later returned to the Boston locker room post-game where he met with team staff. Payton Pritchard darted to the back room after spotting him.

"It was cool (seeing the Celtics win the championship)," Walker said. "Especially the guys who I was able to be there with, like JT and Jaylen, the growth over the years has been unbelievable. So to be able to play with them and see with my own eyes how much they grew to win a championship, it's pretty special actually."

Walker's days now involve taking the court with whoever's on the floor. He doesn't develop any player, specifically, but tries to push everyone on a growing Hornets team that includes LaMelo Ball, early season revelation Tre Mann and Brandon Miller, who finished third in 2024 rookie of the year voting. The role also reunited him with former teammate Grant Williams, who was a rookie when Walker signed in Boston and moved in with him in Charlotte during the pandemic in 2020.

Walker doesn't see coaching as a career, but will leave his mind open for that to change. Pritchard smiled when asked if he ever saw Walker coaching, saying Walker probably doesn't need the money. The commitment suits him for now as he navigates retirement, which hasn't brought any new interests or hobbies yet. He feels like God put him on Earth to be around basketball.

"It's been easy," Walker said. "The people around here make my days easy, my life easy. I'm just having a good time, to be honest. I'm not thinking about, 'damn I wish I played or lasted to this season.' It's pretty good."