Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker Selected to His First All-Star Game as a Reserve

The Charlotte Hornets will be represented at the NBA All-Star Game this season as Kemba Walker was named as a reserve for the Eastern Conference.

For the first time since the 2009-10 season, the Charlotte Hornets will have a player in the NBA All-Star Game. Kemba Walker was selected to his first ever All-Star Game as an Eastern Conference Reserve. With so many great guards in the East, there was some doubt that he would not make it and potentially get snubbed once again this year but the coaches voted him in.

Walker is enjoying a career year while leading the Hornets to their current 23-23 record. He has led the team in scoring in 32 of the 45 games he’s played in this season. Taking a look at the numbers, he has the second most three’s made in the East so far this season (127) and is one of only four players this year with 125+ three’s on 40% three-point shooting.

Kemba is averaging 23.0 points per game, 5.5 assists per game, and 4.1 rebounds per game this season. Walker is deserving of the honor this year as he became only the seventh Hornet to ever make an All-Star Game and the first since Gerald Wallace. He is averaging career highs in PPG, FG%, FG/G, 3FG/G, and three-point field goal percentage.

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After Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan were named as the starting guards for the Eastern Conference, there was a battle between John Wall, Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas, and Kemba to make it as reserves. As it turns out, all four point guards made the team. The starters were rounded out by LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler. Also, Paul George, Paul Millsap, and Kevin Love were named as reserves.

Walker and company will take on the Western Conference All-Stars who are made up of Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis as the starters. While, Russell Westbrook, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, and Gordon Hayward. Just taking a quick glance at the two teams, the West is comprised of more big men while the East has five point guards on their roster.

After the 2017 All-Star Game was pulled from Charlotte this past summer, there were doubts about Kemba making the team as he probably would’ve been a sure-fire lock if the game was in The Queen City. Despite that, Walker was still selected by the coaches and he will get to enjoy the NBA All-star Game for the first time in his career.

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Now that he has been named, the next step is to show what he can once in the game on Sunday, February 19th in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is definitely a step in the right direction not only for Kemba but for the Charlotte Hornets as a whole. Credit to Walker for playing at an all-star level this season.

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