Kenny Walker (basketball)

For the American football defensive lineman, see Kenny Walker (American football). For other people, see Kenneth Walker (disambiguation).

Kenny Walker

Walker at an autograph signing in 2012
Personal information
Born	(1964-08-18) August 18, 1964 Roberta, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school	Crawford County (Roberta, Georgia)
College	Kentucky (1982–1986)
NBA draft	1986: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career	1986–1997
Position	Small forward
Number	34, 7, 15
Career history
1986–1991	New York Knicks
1991–1992	Granollers
1993	Teamsystem Fabriano
1993	Cáceres
1993–1995	Washington Bullets
1996–1997	Isuzu Motors Lynx Gigacats / Isuzu Gigacats
Career highlights and awards
NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1989) JBL Best5 (1996) Consensus first-team All-American (1986) Consensus second-team All-American (1985) 2× SEC Player of the Year (1985, 1986) No. 34 honored by Kentucky Wildcats Third-team Parade All-American (1982)
Career NBA statistics
Points	3,128 (7.0 ppg)
Rebounds	1,793 (4.0 rpg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals Men's basketball Representing the United States FIBA U19 World Championship 1983 Palma de Mallorca National team

Kenneth Walker (born August 18, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player. He played primarily for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Sky" Walker, he won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1989. He is currently a radio host for WVLK in Lexington, Kentucky.

Walker played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was a first-team consensus All-American as a senior in 1986, and twice he was named the player of the year in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He was selected by the Knicks in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft with the fifth overall pick.

High school career

Walker was born in Roberta, Georgia, where he attended Crawford County High School. He was named Mr. Basketball in his home state of Georgia in 1982.

College career

Kenny Walker's jersey was retired by the University of Kentucky. This banner hangs in Rupp Arena.

Walker chose to play collegiately at the University of Kentucky, where he was named to an All-SEC team four times and the All-American team twice. Walker's 1984 Kentucky team made it to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament before losing to the Georgetown Hoyas.

In 1986, Walker set a record by scoring 11 times on 11 field goal attempts in the NCAA tournament.

Professional career

Walker was selected with the 5th pick of the 1986 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. Walker played for five coaches in five years with the Knicks. On February 11, 1989, Walker won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, competing three days after the death of his father. He also secured third place in the 1990 contest. However, his success on the court was dwindling, and knee injuries forced him to leave the NBA and join the ACB league in Spain.

Walker returned to the NBA in 1993 to play two seasons with the Washington Bullets as a role player. He played a season (c.1998) for the Isuzu Motors Lynx/Giga Cats in Japan before retiring from professional basketball.

Post-retirement

From 2000 to 2021, Walker was the co-host of "Cat Talk," a syndicated radio call-in show with Wes Strader.

Walker lives in Lexington, and is active in the community, doing local radio and promoting childhood literacy.

Walker is a member of the 2018 Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in a class that includes former NFL star Champ Bailey, and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

External links

• Media related to Kenny Walker at Wikimedia Commons
• Kenny Walker – NBA statistics @ basketball-reference.com
• Kenny Walker – UK statistics