Peering up at a row of banners boasting a familiar name and likeness, Kemba Walker is nearly in disbelief.<\/p>\n
Read more Goose plays the first of three nights in Raleigh<\/a><\/p>\n Pictures of the Charlotte Hornets<\/u><\/a>\u2019 all-time franchise leader in points hang from the ceiling along one of the baselines of the host of basketball and volleyball courts. It\u2019s one of the many touches added to spruce up this older building in the historic part of downtown, just a long baseball pass away from Barber-Scotia College.<\/p>\n What used to be Carolina Courts is now transformed into The Kemba Walker Sports Academy. His logo is emblazoned in various places, and the banners showcase Walker in every uniform he\u2019s ever worn. AAU, college, the pros, Team USA and all.<\/p>\n \u201cIt kind of just brings me back to the first day, and it\u2019s my journey for real,\u201d Walker, now assistant coach<\/u><\/a> with the Hornets, told The Charlotte Observer. \u201cMy best friends, they are the ones who kind of did all this stuff right here. So, it\u2019s crazy. It kind of just puts it in perspective, my journey.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere I started and where I ended and just where I\u2019m at now. So, it\u2019s pretty fire.\u201d<\/p>\n Walker\u2019s academy is primed to be a premier destination for youth and amateur sports in the Carolinas; Friday marked its official grand opening. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to become a hub for tournaments, athlete development and training.<\/p>\n Having called the region home for more than a decade, including when he was no longer playing for the Hornets, Walker is essentially forever entrenched in the Charlotte area for real now.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce I got here, I knew I was never leaving, to be honest,\u201d the Bronx native said. \u201cIt\u2019s just such a special place in my heart. My whole family\u2019s here. We came here from Day 1. And just the calmness of the place, the love that I get while I\u2019m here, man, I knew I was never leaving. I knew I wasn\u2019t. Special place.\u201d<\/p>\n Which is what led Walker to return to the Hornets as a player enhancement coach under coach Charles Lee. He just completed his second season and enjoyed contributing to the organization in another way besides scoring and distributing assists.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been dope,\u201d Walker said. \u201cI\u2019ve never really seen myself being a coach, but now that I\u2019m here, I\u2019m really enjoying it. The last two years have been great with the guys. Especially the season we had the first year and going into the next year, it was so different. Such a huge improvement. And to be a part of that was special, obviously, because I played here, and I\u2019ve seen struggles, I\u2019ve been a part of the struggles.<\/p>\n \u201cSo to be on the up and up, it was. It was fun. Especially last year. It was a super, super cool sequence.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently, the Hornets are in transition following the blockbuster trade<\/u><\/a> sending star guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, first-round pick swaps from 2028-30 and second-round picks in 2029, 2032, and 2033. They also agreed to terms<\/u><\/a> with Coby White.<\/p>\n Hornets co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin reiterated they remain dedicated<\/a> to bringing a winning product to Charlotte, and Walker insists he\u2019s witnessed that desire firsthand.<\/p>\n Read more AMC makes bold call that sends its stock crashing<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThose guys, they bought the team with a vision, and they\u2019re willing to do things to help the organization reach places that it\u2019s never reached before,\u201d Walker said. \u201cSo, yeah, Rick and Gabe, they\u2019re very, very committed to this organization, to Charlotte. They\u2019re very good.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m around those guys a lot, and they\u2019re not just owners who sit around at home. They\u2019re there I wouldn\u2019t say every day, but they\u2019re there a lot. They are there a lot. Literally watching practices, on the team plane, on road games. Those guys are great.\u201d<\/p>\n Walker\u2019s message to fans who may be confused about the path of the roster and where things are headed is simple.<\/p>\n \u201cJust got to wait and see, just like I\u2019ve got to wait and see,\u201d Walker said. \u201cLiterally, I\u2019ve got to wait and see. We\u2019ve all got to wait and see. We\u2019ve just got to really put our trust in the guys that\u2019s making the decisions. In this league, around this league, you\u2019re going to see things that happen all the time where you\u2019re like, \u2018I can\u2019t believe it.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSeen it with Luka (Don\u010di\u0107 ).\u201d<\/p>\n Even seen it with Walker, when the Hornets elected not to re-sign him after he hit unrestricted free agency in 2019. Instead, they sent him to Boston in a sign-and-trade rather than losing him for nothing in return.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was even tough for me, to be honest,\u201d Walker said. \u201cBut that\u2019s the way of the NBA. But like I said, we\u2019ve got to put our trust in these guys and see what happens in the future. We\u2019re going to show up to work, and we\u2019re going to do what we can to improve the team as much as we can. We\u2019re going to get guys better and try to help these guys compete.\u201d<\/p>\n Including the newest additions.<\/p>\n Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft<\/a> on Tuesday, and Walker gives each a solid stamp of immediate approval.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a part of both of their draft workouts,\u201d Walker said. \u201cI think they\u2019re really good. I\u2019m a big fan of Hannes. He has game, bro. He\u2019s going to continue to improve. He\u2019s a hard worker. He\u2019s an outstanding rebounder. His IQ is really high. He\u2019s going to fit like a glove with our team.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then Christian, the boy can hoop. I don\u2019t know if guys got a chance to watch him in college, but that kid can hoop. He can pass, he can shoot. He can shoot at a very, very high clip. And hopefully I get a chance to work with him a little bit as well to help him navigate through the NBA, learn his spot, help him find his mission in the league.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, yeah, we drafted good. I\u2019m excited about our picks and how much they\u2019re going to get better in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 5:00 AM<\/span> with the headline “Why Kemba Walker is excited about Hornets\u2019 future, 2026 NBA Draft additions.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n