Walker says he can't complain about anything during his first year in Europe and generally considers it to have been a successful year despite breathtaking individual results on the court.
Kemba Walker's move to Europe to play for AS Monaco in the EuroLeague made big news in the basketball world. With two months remaining until the end of the season, the player has now recapped his first year overseas.
"I feel good, I feel really good. I feel like I was a big part of the team and not just basketball. Just being around, speaking when I need to, just being around the fellas. It's been a great year for me," Kemba told Maxime Tilliette from RMC Sport.
"As far as basketball, whenever I got the opportunity, I felt like I went out there and did what I could. I have no complaints," he said. "I've really enjoyed this team and everything that came with it. Looking for this one last final push, so we'll see what's there to come."
Walker played in 26 EuroLeague games this regular season, averaging 4.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists for 4.6 PIR in 11 minutes of playing time. His best game came in against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in December when Walker scored 13 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and drew 4 fouls for 21 PIR.
While his arrival was met with high expectations from some fans, Walker is now embracing a different role than what he was used to in his prime in the NBA.
"Just understanding my situation, you know. Not everything's going to go my way. I don't want to set an example of being down or being frustrated just because things are not going my way. It's bigger than me, it's about the team, it's about the guys around me," he said.
"It's about winning. We've been doing that, these guys have been playing really well. For me, it's like if we win, I can't complain. I love to win, I love watching my teammates be happy," Walker declared. "Like I said, I just try to do what I can to help the team impact the game. That's what it's about."
AS Monaco / Schedule
AS Monaco
Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulWhat made an impression on Walker were European basketball fans. In particular, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade supporters.
"In an NBA game, if Steph [Curry] is on the road, you might see a lot of Golden State jerseys. Here, it's very rare you see a lot of opponents' jerseys in the stands. The ground be shakin', it's crazy. My first game was against Red Star (Crvena Zvezda), which was crazy. Then went back a few months later and played against Partizan. It was crazy, it was nuts in there," the player said.
"I knew what to expect, but when you see it and you're a part of it, it's definitely different. It's definitely different when you're actually seeing it, when you're actually a part of it," Kemba admitted. "But I wasn't surprised, I was actually excited, I was really excited to be a part of that. Every time I was on the bench, I'd just look around to get a good glimpse of what was going on because of how passionate the fans were about their team. It's really cool to me."
Monaco will play the first game of the EuroLeague playoff series against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Wednesday. While Walker believes the squad has the requisites to go all the way, the veteran guard admits the only way to progress is to not look too much into the future.
"As a competitor, I definitely think so. I believe we have a really good chance to do great things around here," he said about Monaco's chances to win the EuroLeague. "You can't really look forward. You have to just be in the present and take it game by game. We're just going to focus on Game 1 and go from there."
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