Lonnie Walker of the Los Angeles Lakers recently surprised the crowd, his teammates and himself after putting up 15 points in the fourth quarter alone. This performance came after only playing 14 minutes in the initial series against the Memphis Grizzlies and not playing in the first game against the Golden State Warriors.
After the game, in an interview, Walker said his game-time performance gave him “The greatest feeling you could ever imagine.” He continued, “As a kid, this is something I’ve been dreaming of doing. Not just being part of the playoffs but impacting it.” In his fifth year in the NBA, Walker hadn’t played much, but that never stopped him from working as hard as possible.
Walker said, “I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself. I know my value. I know what I’m capable of doing. By the grace of God and a lot of hard work and sacrifices and time in the gym, the fruition kind of came today.” He also never declined to give God the glory, starting a post-game interview with “Inside the NBA” by saying, “God is good, first and foremost.”
He shared, “At every single level, I’ve encountered a lot of adversities, if not a lesson that God was trying to teach me. And I think that’s the most important thing is trying to better yourself every day. There’s going to be hard times, and that’s just God’s ultimate test to make you learn something in order to get to your goal.”
View this post on Instagram
In an interview with his hometown newspaper, Walker said, “As long as I have God by my side, I always know it’s going to be okay. No matter what position I’m in, the end of the road is going to be a success.” He added, “Whether it was being injured at Miami or when we lost junior year in the (state high school) semifinals, I’m always going to be victorious. I know what it takes to get to where I want to be; I’ve just got to be patient and have faith and know that God has my back.”
Walker made history for the Lakers by becoming the first player in over 25 years to come off the bench and score 15 points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. The last player to do it was none other than Kobe Bryant, and he did it exactly 26 years ago, on May 8, 1997.
Lonnie Walker’s performance during this game is a testament to being ready when God calls you. He may not have been the best player, but he was ready when his teammates needed him. Though the Lakers are down 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals series with the Denver Nuggets, hopefully, Walker will continue to work hard and dedicate his life to God.
Read Previous Post
