Kemba hangs jersey

NEW YORK (AFP) — Kemba Walker, a US college champion and four-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star guard over 12 league seasons, announced his retirement from basketball on Tuesday in a statement on social media.

The 34-year-old American played his final NBA games with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2022-2023 campaign and spent last season with AS Monaco, last year’s French league champions.

“I want to start this by thanking God for everything he has given me,” Walker posted on X.

“Basketball has done more for me than I could’ve ever imagined and I’m super thankful for the amazing journey I’ve had.”

“With that, I’m here to share that I am officially retiring from the game of basketball. This has all been a dream. When I look back, I still can’t believe the things I achieved in my career.”

Walker averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals over 750 NBA games with Charlotte, Boston, New York and Dallas.

He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 NCAA tournament, in which he sparked the University of Connecticut to the US national crown.

Walker was taken ninth overall by Charlotte in the 2011 NBA Draft, but struggled with injuries after a 2019 trade to Boston. He was traded to Oklahoma City, reached a contract buyout deal and signed with New York, where knee issues limited his playing time.