FACT CHECK: Did Kemba Walker score 92 points in EuroLeague? Debunking viral claim
Former NBA superstar Kemba Walker recently signed with EuroLeague giants AS Monaco, in July 2023. Making his debut on October 18, Walker has since established himself in the LNB Pro A League and has emerged as one of the top players in France.
The 3-time NBA All-Star last played for the Dallas Mavericks after a stint with the New York Knicks for the 2021-22 season.
While he did not show the kind of scoring form that was apparent in the initial years of Walker’s career, a social media post claimed that the 33-year-old scored a whopping 92 points in a recent game. The post led to a range of rumors and claimed that he scored 14 3-pointers and also had 6 assists in the game.
However, the claims were false. While Kemba Walker has found reasonable success as a starter for AS Monaco, he has to date scored a game-high of just 13 points, in 19 matches.
Walker has been a regular starter and has to date accumulated a total of 85 points in his LNB Pro A season. The tweet was initially posted by the Twitter account Hoops, which has an overall following of 600k on the platform and also included a misleading graphic that noted the 14 3-pointers and 5 assists.
Regardless, while fans were, as one would expect, extremely impressed initially and wanted Walker to make an NBA return, the truth tells a different story.
Kemba Walker has scored a total of 85 points in 19 French League games
Kemba Walker was the ninth overall pick of the 2011 NBA draft, for the Charlotte Hornets, and had a successful eight years at the franchise. Walker was highly touted long before he made his way to the NBA and proved his scoring prowess with a total of five seasons with a scoring average of over 20, from 2015-2020.
This led to his three All-Star appearances, the last of which came in 2020, as a Boston Celtics player. Walker was one of the best scorers and was highly rated for his ball handling. However, consistent injuries meant that he was never able to fulfill his potential in the NBA, leading to three trades since 2019.
Walker, after leaving the Hornets, played for the Celtics, Knicks, and the Dallas Mavericks before leaving the USA. This was partly because no NBA team wanted him.
Kemba Walker's total points in 19 French League games is 85, which is somewhat underwhelming. It will be interesting to see if he can hit some form or if his decline is set to continue.