Re: The Forgotten STAR - Antoine "The Captain" Walker
Antoine Walker Q & A
One of the most maligned NBA players in recent memory, Antoine Walker (in part) finally got his due when he helped the Miami Heat win an NBA championship this year. And don’t accuse ’Toine of riding anyone’s coattails, either; he averaged 13 points and five boards in the postseason, including some season-saving performances against the Nets in the second round, and a 20-point outing in Game 2 of the Finals against Dallas. We caught up with ’Toine in Vegas last week.
Dime: What have you been up to lately?
AW: I’m just starting to get back into the swing of things, getting after it. I’ve been up in Chicago playing (at Hoops the Gym).
Dime: Who has been up there playing with you?
AW:: A bunch of guys … Quentin Richardson, Juwan Howard, Michael Finley, Darius Miles, Bobby Simmons … a good 10 or 15 pros.
Dime: How have things changed for you since winning the championship?
AW:: The respect level has went up a lot. When you go out in public, people really recognize you more. You see how many people watch the Finals and watch the playoffs. It’s been great. It’s a huge accomplishment, something you work for your whole career. I get a lot of respect from the (other players). We’re all searching for that one goal, so they congratulate you on your accomplishment.
Dime: Now that you have the ring, is it harder to come back with that same motivation that you would have if you didn’t have a ring?
AW:: I think it becomes a little easier for us as a team. Teams are going to be geared up more against us now, but we want to defend this, and we’re coming back with our same team. It will be a lot easier for us to get out of the gate, because we know each other. And as long as you have Shaq and D-Wade, you have a chance to build a dynasty. As long as the big fella can stay healthy, keeping him motivated is the big thing. He has four years left on his contract, so we just wanna ride it out with him.
Dime: What can you tell us about the party scene on South Beach after you guys won the chip?
AW:: (Laughs) Oh man, it was unbelievable. And put in consideration that it was the city’s first time winning an NBA title. The way people treat us in Miami is great. We brought them their first NBA championship, so hopefully people will always remember that.
Dime: You’ve always taken a lot of criticism, and last year was no different. You were even getting it from your home fans at one point. Do you feel that your performances in the playoffs, in particular against the Nets and Mavericks, silenced the critics?
AW:: Last season was unusual. (Miami) went to the Eastern Conference Finals the year before, so people felt like they shouldn’t have broken up that team and brought in guys like myself and J-Will. I mean, me winning the title, hopefully it does (silence the critics). But you never know. The first bad game you have, they start talking again. You never know.
Dime: Now that you know first-hand what it takes to win a championship, did those Celtics teams you were on with Paul Pierce have what was necessary to win a ring?
AW:: We had enough to get there, but to win a title is a whole other level. We had Paul and myself, but we probably needed another in-between guy that could have helped us out.
Dime: Including the playoffs, you played in 105 games last year including the playoffs. After the season was over, did you try and get away from basketball for a while? What did you do to give yourself a break?
AW:: I’m a big golfer. I got the golf bug real serious; I love the game. I’ll go play my 36 holes a day, just trying to get my handicap down. It’s a 16 now and I’m trying to get to single digits.
Dime: Do you just play golf or do you watch it, too?
AW:: I watch it. The Golf Station, that’s my thing. I’m enjoying this Tiger run right now.
Dime: What other athletes in other sports are you a fan of?
AW:: In football, I like Donovan (McNabb), Terrell Owens, Daunte Culpepper. In baseball, A-Rod, Jeter and Derrick Lee.
Dime: You played basketball with McNabb in high school. Back then, did you know he was going to be a pro athlete?
AW:: He was definitely college material in both sports. I didn’t know if he was major D-1 in basketball, but in football he was on top of the world. But he was an option QB and he didn’t pass that much, so I didn’t know he’d end up being as good of a passer as he is now.
Dime: Did you play any other sports in high school?
AW:: I played baseball – shortstop – but I quit after a while when I got too tall.
Dime: What are you going to do with the championship ring when you get it?
AW:: I’ll wear it around for a good month, then I’m going to put it up forever.
, sattuneesta syystä.