Samaki Ijuma Walker (born February 25, 1976) is an American retired professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

and

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

. Walker played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

at the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

and was drafted in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

by the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

, where he played until 1999. Walker continued to play for the NBA with the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

(1999–2001),

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

(2001–2003),

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

(2003–2004),

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...

(2004–2005), and

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

(2005–2006). Afterwards, Walker played in various international and minor leagues.

Early life

Walker was born in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, the youngest of seven children. He attended Eastmoor High School and

Whitehall-Yearling High School Whitehall-Yearling High School is a public high school located in Whitehall, Ohio, United States. History In 1954, Whitehall-Yearling High School admitted its first students. Work on the school was still going on while classes were in session. Cl ...

Basketball career

Early years

Denny Crum Denzel Edwin "Denny" Crum (born March 2, 1937) is an American former men's college basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 to 2001, compiling a record. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships ( 1980, 1986) and six Fin ...

recruited Walker to attend the

, where he enjoyed two successful seasons playing for the

Cardinals Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

. He recorded the first triple double in school history, with 14 points, 10 boards and 11 blocks in a win over their rival the

Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...

. His 11 blocks and the team's 17 blocks in the game were both school records as well. Walker decided to forgo his final two years of eligibility and enter the

1996 NBA Draft The 1996 NBA draft was the 50th draft in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held on June 26, 1996 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting college basketball play ...

. Selected ninth overall by the

, Walker drew widespread attention on draft day for wearing an all-white suit with a matching fedora. A 6' 9"

, Walker became the youngest Maverick to appear in a game. That season, new coach

Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...

began drastically changing the makeup of the team, and Walker was actually the longest-tenured Maverick while still a rookie. He posted career highs in points and rebounds with 8.9 points and 7.4 rebounds a game during the 1997–98 season for the Mavericks. In the summer of 1999, Walker signed a two-year contract with the defending champion

. He opted for a smaller deal to play in San Antonio rather than re-sign with Dallas, as he wanted to play under the tutelage of

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

and

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Big Fundamental", he is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA histor ...

.Samaki Walker, From the NBA to Playing Basketball in Pre–Civil War Syria
/ref> He played two years with the team as a reserve.

Los Angeles Lakers

In the summer of 2001, Walker signed as a free agent with the two-time defending champion

, who needed a power forward following the departure of veteran

Horace Grant Horace Junior Grant Sr. (born July 4, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for Michael Reinsdorf, the president and chief operating officer of the Chicago Bulls. He attended and played college baske ...

. Walker started in 63 of 69 games, averaging 6.7 points per game and 7.0 rebounds for the season, and stepped in at Center for superstar

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...

when injured. He recorded a season high 18 points to go with 10 rebounds in a Christmas Day win against the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. On February 19, 2002, Walker entered the injured list because of a hyperextended elbow. Walker would only start in 5 of the Lakers 19 playoff games, with

Robert Horry Robert Keith Horry (; born August 25, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning seven championships, the most of any pla ...

entrenching himself as the starter with clutch plays. In Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals on May 26, 2002, Walker made a 3-pointer at the end of halftime; by then the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

led over the Lakers 65-51. Although the shot counted, television replays showed Walker had released the ball after the buzzer went off. The Lakers won the game 100-99 on a

buzzer-beating In basketball and other such timed sports, a buzzer beater is a shot that is taken before the game clock of a quarter, a half (if the half is the second one, then, a game), or an overtime period expires but does not go in the basket until after t ...

3-pointer from Horry that tied the series at 2. The Lakers then won the series in 7 to advance to the Finals. Walker's shot influenced the NBA's decision to institute

instant replay Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred which was both shot and broadcast live. The video, having already been shown live, is replayed in order for viewers to see again and analyze what had j ...

for review the following season. The Lakers reached the NBA Finals, defeating the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

in a four-game sweep to win their third straight championship and give Walker his first and only championship ring. Shaq has credited Walker for his contributions to the Lakers championship run, namely his play against

Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Drafted number one overall by the Orlando Magic, though arguably best known and remembered as the star forward for the Sacramento Ki ...

of the Kings during the Western Conference Finals series. He would be the last Laker to wear #52 before it was retired in honor of

Jamaal Wilkes Jamaal Abdul-Lateef (born Jackson Keith Wilkes; May 2, 1953), better known as Jamaal Wilkes, is an American former basketball player who was a small forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star, he won four NBA ...

. The following year, Walker was now the primary backup behind O'Neal and Horry, but still started in 39 of 67 games. The Lakers three–year reign as champions ended with a loss to the Spurs in the conference semifinals. He became a free agent after the season, and the Lakers opted to sign

Karl Malone Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone spen ...

and draft Brian Cook, effectively ending his run in Los Angeles.

Later years and international play

Walker signed as a free agent with the

in 2003. The following season, he signed with the

. He dealt with numerous injuries both years and only played 47 games over the two seasons. Walker spent a brief seven–game stint with the

during the 2005–06 season and a portion of the 2007 offseason with the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

, but was unable to latch on with either team. In January 2006, Walker played in four games with the

Russian Professional Basketball League The Professional Basketball League (russian: Профессиональная баскетбольная лига (ПБЛ), Professionalʼnaya basketbolʼnaya liga), often abbreviated to the PBL, was the pre-eminent men's professional basketball l ...

team

UNICS Kazan BC UNICS (russian: БК УНИКС) is a professional basketball club in Kazan, Russia, that plays in the VTB United League, and formerly played in the EuroLeague. On February 28, 2022, EuroLeague Basketball suspended the team because of the 2022 ...

, averaging 7.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. In 2007, Walker joined

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

's Al-Jalaa Aleppo. With Al-Jalaa, Walker won the Syrian D-1 championship in 2008. In 2009, Walker signed with Chinese league's

Shandong Lions Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin () is a Chinese professional basketball team based in Jinan, Shandong, which plays in the Northern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Some home games are held in the nearby city of Linyi. The Hi-Speed ...

. Walker later played with the

Korean Basketball League The Korean Basketball League (KBL; ) is a professional men's basketball league in South Korea which was established in 1997. The league consists of ten teams and each team plays a total of 54 games (27 home and 27 away) in the regular season. H ...

Seoul SK Knights The Seoul SK Knights ( ko, 서울 SK 나이츠) is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League. The club was originally founded by Jinro Group in 1997 as Cheongju Jinro McCass. Before the official launch of the basketball clu ...

. In January 2010, Walker was released from

after averaging 14.1 points and 8.9 rebounds. In October 2010 he signed again with Al-Jalaa Aleppo. He won a second Syrian League Championship with the team that season, and retired shortly after.

Personal life

In Swahili, "Samaki" means "fish" . Walker has three children, sons Dibaji and

Jabari ''Jabari'' is a masculine given name, derived from Swahili, ultimately from Arabic, that is most commonly given to African-American boys. It is also an Arabic surname. Etymology Jabari is a borrowing from Swahili ''jabari'' meaning "brave (one)" ...

, and daughter Sakima. After his 17-year-old nephew Deandre Hillman died from

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

in 2001, Walker joined the non-profit organization Start-A-Heart, which provides

automated external defibrillator An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them thro ...

s to schools and other public facilities. He spent the 2006–07 season forming Life Choices Foundation, a nonprofit aiming to keep youth in inner-city Los Angeles out of trouble. In an interview with CBS Radio, Walker told

Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson Brandon Robinson, known professionally as Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, is an American television host, sportswriter, podcaster and executive producer who is currently an NBA Insider at Bally Sports Network. He's had prior stops as a radio host and ...

that

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

suckerpunched him for his delaying payment to Kobe after he lost a $100 bet.

Notes

External links

Official website

at Basketball-Reference.com
Al-Jalaa bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Samaki 1976 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Lebanon American expatriate basketball people in Russia American expatriate basketball people in South Korea American expatriate basketball people in Syria American men's basketball players Basketball players from Columbus, Ohio BC UNICS players Dallas Mavericks draft picks Dallas Mavericks players Indiana Pacers players Korean Basketball League players Los Angeles Lakers players Louisville Cardinals men's basketball players Miami Heat players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Power forwards (basketball) San Antonio Spurs players Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin players Seoul SK Knights players Washington Wizards players Sagesse SC basketball players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople