Athletes - Antoine Walker

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	Athletes - Antoine Walker

Antoine Walker (born August 12, 1976 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is a professional basketball player with the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association. He has played for four different teams during his NBA career.

Walker grew up in Dolton, Illinois and went to Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, the same school as current several other professional sportsmen including Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, Chicago Bears tackle Steve Edwards, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice. He was a key factor in the University of Kentucky Wildcats 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship-winning team. As a freshman at the University of Kentucky he was named SEC Tournament MVP. In his sophomore year Antoine was named All-SEC First, All-SEC Tournament and to the All-NCAA Regional Teams. After his sophomore season he declared for the 1996 NBA Draft and was picked sixth overall by the Boston Celtics. Walker later teamed with Paul Pierce to help Boston play at a relatively high level, and was selected to three NBA All Star Game appearances during this time.

Nine days before the start of the 2003-04 season, Antoine Walker was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Walker was used in a relatively limited capacity on the his new team due to the plethora of high-caliber players populating the Mavericks' roster. Included on that team was Antawn Jamison, newly acquired from the Golden State Warriors. On August 8, 2004 Walker and Tony Delk were traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Jason Terry, longtime Hawks member Alan Henderson and a draft pick. On February 24, 2005, Walker was traded back to the Celtics in a deal that sent Gary Payton, Tom Gugliotta, Michael Stewart, and a first round draft pick to the Hawks. Gary Payton was released by the Hawks and re-signed with Boston for the remainder of the season.

On August 2 2005, Walker was involved in a 5-team, 13-player deal (the largest trade in NBA history) that sent him from the Celtics to the Miami Heat.

Criticisms

Over the years, Walker's game has been widely criticized, mainly because of his questionable shot selection. Though no more than an average three-point shooter, by the 2000-2001 campaign he had become the NBA's leader in three point attempts. Throughout that season, Walker shot 37% from beyond the arc and 41% overall, a poor field-goal percentage for a power forward.

Walker's penchant for shooting three-pointers is thought to stem from his playing for coaches Rick Pitino and Jim O'Brien, whose offensive techniques of shooting high volumes of three-pointers became known as the "Bombs Away Offense" among Celtics fans. Walker again led the league in 3PA's in 2001-2002 with 645 (and finished shooting an anemic 39% overall). In 2002-2003 he attempted 582 three-point shots. However, Walker has improved this in his days with the Miami Heat, shooting a 43.3% from the field. This is due to the fact that teammate Shaquille O'Neal often draws double-teams, so Walker frequently has wide-open shots.

Despite being an immensely talented player who can run the floor, pass, dribble, shoot, play in the post, and rebound, it is the consensus of many that Walker never really reached his full potential as a player because of his shot selection. Through the years, Walker has often infuriated otherwise loyal fans due to his low percentage shooting, tendency to commit turnovers, and poor performance in high-pressure situations. However, Walker has also improved his performance in high pressure situations with the Miami Heat. He has been one of Miami's "go-to-guys" and has shown his effectiveness in games against the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, and others in which he pulls Miami through for a victory.

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Athletes - Antoine Walker

Criticisms

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