After Lonnie Walker IV was waived by the Celtics in October, he had a choice to make: be a part of the Maine Celtics in hopes of in the end getting referred to as as much as Boston or go abroad and play within the EuroLeague.
It was a tough selection that he weighed closely.
“I used to be undoubtedly extremely interested by going again to Maine, so far as with the Boston Celtics and, hopefully getting the chance again to come back again and play with the principle group,” Walker IV instructed reporters earlier than Thursday’s sport between the Celtics and 76ers.
However after some consideration, he felt compelled to hitch the Zalgiris membership in Lithuania. The group provided him an NBA buyout clause, which means that he may rejoin the NBA till Feb. 18. That flexibility, a superb dialog with organizational management, and the understanding that the EuroLeague was enormously aggressive, compelled him to take a leap of religion and head abroad.
“There’s nothing higher to point out your abilities within the second-best league on the planet,” he mentioned. “It was a second of simply betting on myself.”
In Zalgiris, Walker IV averaged 13.6 factors throughout 19 video games, capturing 45.2% from two and 33.1% from three. As Feb. 18 approached, it appeared more and more unlikely {that a} return to the NBA was coming this season. So, he stored his centered on the Lithuanian membership, and opted to dam out the noise relating to potential NBA gives.
“I sort of simply instructed my agent, ‘Don’t inform me something if it’s not sure,’” he mentioned. “I actually was simply attempting to remain current, play for Zalgiris.”
However within the ultimate hours forward of his buyout deadline, his agent knowledgeable him that the Philadelphia 76ers had been making a proposal.
“I didn’t actually anticipate to come back right here on the final minute of my contract, however by the grace of God, I obtained again right here,” he mentioned. “Now I’m simply attempting to make use of the chance to the very best of my functionality.”
Walker IV struggled in his first couple of video games with the 76ers, making simply 3 of his first 17 shot makes an attempt. Forward of Thursday’s sport between the Celtics and the 76ers, Philadelphia’s head coach Nick Nurse mentioned that his athleticism and shotmaking capability compelled the group to offer him an opportunity.
“From what we’ve seen, we actually like him,” Nurse mentioned. “He hasn’t performed nice, by the numbers or his personal admission. However I sort of see him popping out of that a bit bit. I feel he’ll discover his toes right here a bit bit and have some good video games.”
Requested Nick Nurse about what Lonnie Walker IV has dropped at the group:
“I actually like him. He hasn’t performed nice by most likely the numbers or his personal admission, however I sort of see him popping out of that a bit bit.” pic.twitter.com/2Btl9YBiLc
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) March 6, 2025
Earlier than Thursday’s sport, Walker made clear that his confidence hadn’t wavered regardless of a few powerful early capturing performances.
“I obtained to grasp that I’m human, too. I’m not going to instantly adapt to issues,” Walker IV mentioned pregame. “I do know my potential, I do know what I can convey to the desk. It’s all about simply discovering consistency each single day, simply attempting to be higher than what I used to be yesterday, and making the most of this chance, as of proper now.”
Certain sufficient, Walker IV had his finest sport of the season just some hours later in opposition to the Celtics, scoring a season-high 17 factors on 6-13 capturing and tallying 3 assists in 28 minutes.
How Lonnie Walker IV benefited from his month with the Celtics
By now, Walker IV’s tenure with the Celtics is 5 months within the rearview. He celebrated each his birthday and Christmas alone in Lithuania and lived for almost half a 12 months in a rustic that was utterly overseas to him.
Earlier than he moved to Kaunas, Walker IV spent a month with the Celtics for coaching camp, an expertise that, upon reflection, he mentioned helped him grow to be extra skilled. Walker IV shared that in Boston, he labored more durable than ever earlier than.
“I simply labored my tail off,” he mentioned. “I feel I took it to an entire different degree, so far as my psychological capabilities to understanding what I can do. I put myself in loads of uncomfortable conditions. They’ll inform you — I used to be first one there, normally the final one out. I used to be doing chilly water plunges, simply loads of issues that I don’t usually do… two-a-days, coming again at night time, getting pictures up, I actually simply labored my tail off as a lot as I may. And it undoubtedly confirmed how way more I’ve left to offer to the sport.”
A part of it was the sudden scenario Lonnie Walker IV discovered himself in; after six years within the NBA, three by which he averaged double-figures, his again was in opposition to the wall as he looked for an NBA contract.
Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE by way of Getty Photos
However, the opposite side of his elevated motivation was the aggressive atmosphere he all of a sudden discovered himself immersed in.
“While you’re part of a championship group and the way they strategy the sport, it provides you a bit extra motivation, inspiration,” Walker IV mentioned. “You need to be the very best, and also you need to see how everyone seems to be continuing to be the very best, and why they’re such an amazing group.”
The 26-year-old mentioned that seeing Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum rigorous work ethic from the start of coaching camp compelled him to enhance his personal habits.
“I’m gonna shoot too, as a result of I see that they’re doing it night time in and night time out,” he mentioned, reflecting on his mindset at Celtics coaching camp. “Seeing Payton Pritchard do his factor, and Derrick White and all these nice people, it undoubtedly made me need to go so much more durable, as a result of I need to be in that place that they’re in. It undoubtedly instilled one thing so far as like — let my work ethic be the toughest working man on the group as a lot as I can.”
