The Kemba Walker era was over almost as quickly as it began for the New York Knicks.
This is weird, but that’s nothing new for Kemba Walker‘s story with the New York Knicks. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that Walker and the Knicks agreed on a situation moving forward. The veteran point guard will step aside for the rest of the season.
The Knicks confirmed the news thereafter, complete with a statement from team president Leon Rose.
“We fully support Kemba’s decision to shut it down for the remainder of the season and to use this time to prepare for next season. His long-term success on the court remains our priority,” Rose said.
There were some rumblings that this partnership could end in a midseason buyout, but it looks like Walker is going to ride it out on the bench for the rest of the season. Either way, Walker’s days in a Knicks uniform appear to be over.
This year was a hell of a rollercoaster for Kemba Walker and Knicks fans. When New York signed him, he was welcomed by the fanbase with open arms. A decent start quickly turned sour and fans began calling for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to bench him.
That’s exactly what he did.
However, Walker’s story was still yet to be written. Injuries prompted a return to the lineup, scoring 94 points in his first three games back. The narrative on the talk shows and radiowaves was that the Knicks were idiots for benching him in the first place.
That hype quickly faded as Walker has again come back down to Earth. New Yorkers longed for the prodigal son to make his return to Madison Square Garden, this time in orange and blue. It happened, but it didn’t work out. Such is life.
Walker’s Knicks career will likely end with the pedestrian averages of 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 37 games.
As it stands, the Knicks are 3.5 games out of the Play-In Tournament. Benching Walker will help clear a rotation logjam. RJ Barrett and Derrick Rose are likely to return from injury soon, which means the lineup shuffling isn’t over yet.
