Queen of Sports

Kemba Walker Talks About Being From The Bronx In Under Armour Spot

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From Compton to the Bronx. Following the video of Brandon Jennings from Under Armour’s latest “Are you here?” campaign, Kemba Walker is the latest NBA star to talk about where he’s from.

Walker takes us on a tour of the Bronx and where he grew up. This campaign by Under Armour effectively gives fans something they feel they can relate to or understand on an emotional level with the players shown in the videos. Great campaign.

Derrick Williams Signs Endorsement Deal With Under Armour

Derrick Williams, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, just signed a major endorsement deal with Under Armour. Williams, who is coming to the NBA after a stellar college career playing for the University of Arizona, will be joining Kemba Walker from his draft class who also signed an endorsement deal with the brand.

The multi-year partnership and shoe deal will soon allow Williams to help design his own shoe, which according to a SLAM Online interview is very important to him. “Growing up, I had a lot of goals in basketball, and one of them was to have my own shoe. Now that can happen. I’ve made a lot of my other dreams happen and hopefully I can keep making them come true,” Wiliams said.

Williams will be a part of the brand’s 2011 marketing campaigns along with Kemba Walker, Brandon Jennings, and Grievis Vasquez who are also signed by the brand.

Photo: Twitter

Matt Leinart Foundation 5th Annual “Celebrity Bowl”

The Matt Leinart Foundation hosted their 5th Annual “Celebrity Bowl” event at Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood last week.

Joining the Houston Texans backup quarterback on the red carpet was The Blindside actor Quinton Aron, USC football player Marc Tyler, recently drafter NBA player Kemba Walker (pictured above), Seattle Seahawks lineman Chester Pitts, Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell and Oakland Raiders offensive tackle Langston Walker.

The Matt Leinart Foundation provides opportunities to children who would normally not receive them. The children may come from financially and/or socially disadvantaged areas, or may have permanent physical and/or mental disabilities. Among other charities, the Foundation supports the Banner’s Children’s Hospital in Phoenix; Los Angeles’ Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times; and Phoenix, Arizona based charity, Vested Interest.

Photos: PR Photos

Kemba Walker Signs Endorsement Deal With Under Armour

Kemba Walker, who was drafted to the Charlotte Bobcats after a standout season leading the University of Connecticut to their first NCAA basketball title, has signed an endorsement deal with Under Armour according to Darren Rovell of CNBC. Walker is the first draftee of his class to sign with a shoe company.

It’s surprising that he signed with Under Armour not only because they have a small hold on the basketball shoe market compared to Nike, but also because Walker’s new team is owned by Mr. Michael Jordan himself. Terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed.

Highlights From 2011 NBA Draft

Here’s a summary of who was selected at the top of the first round: Duke’s Kyrie Irving went first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Derrick Williams was chosen second for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Turkish basketball player Enes Kanter went to the Utah Jazz as their third pick. Some other notable names from the first round: Brandon Knight from University of Kentucky was selected 8th overall by the Detroit Pistons, Kemba Walker was the 9th overall pick and went to the Charlotte Bobcats, while Jimmer Fredette was chosen 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.

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A number of players from other countries were drafted into the NBA last night, especially in the 2nd round. One of those international players was Jan Vesely, from the Czech Republic, who was drafted to the Washington Wizards. No. 6 overall. When his name was announced, he received a big kiss from his girlfriend, fellow Czech basketball player, Eva Kodouskova. The kiss not only affected the crowd but ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla who commented on Vesely’s good “taste in women” before going into Vesely’s basketball abilities.

ESPN’s Dick Vitale asks almost every year during the draft if NBA scouts have ever seen a college game, and this year’s draft pretty much proves their eyes are mainly overseas. Some of the other international draftees included: Jonas Valanciunas from Lithuania, who was selected 5th overall by the Toronto Raptors. It’s been reported that the 19-year-old may stay overseas for another season before he commits to the NBA. The seventh pick was by the Sacramento Kings for Bismack Biyombo, of the Congo. Another Lithuanian was selected in the first round: Donatas Motiejunas, who went to the Minnesota Timberwolves where he will join NBA newcomers Derrick Williams and Ricky Rubio. The list of international draftees was even larger in the second round.

Congratulations to all the new talent selected by the NBA! We look forward to watching these guys play.

Kemba Walker Stars In His First Commercial

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Kemba Walker hasn’t even officially become an NBA player but already he’s shot his first commercial. The commercial, promoting Best Buy’s Buy  Back Program, also features a goofy veteran named Sweet Feet McGee. Check it out.

Don’t forget…the NBA Draft is tomorrow!

High School Basketball Powerhouse Closing Due To Money Shortage

Rice High School in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood boasts a long list of professional basketball alumni. The private, Roman-Catholic college prep school will be closing its doors at the end of the school year due to low enrollment and a rise in operating costs. The school’s alumni include UConn star and NBA draft hopeful Kemba Walker as well as retired NBA player Felipe Lopez. Nike released special edition versions of their Zoom Kobe shoe exclusively for the school’s basketball team. The school was supported by private donors who have not helped ease the $200,000 deficit the school is facing.

Kemba Walker said upon hearing his alma mater was closing its doors, “For a lot of us, it kept us out of trouble, it helped us grow. A lot of us are successful now because of Rice. It changed me.”

UConn’s One Shining Moment

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Luther Vandross’ infamous crooning returns in this year’s One Shining Moment montage. CBS, after having Jennifer Hudson sing the song for last year’s tournament montage, decided to go back to Vandross perhaps after some criticism of their highlighting the singer rather than focusing on shots of the year’s games.

Last night, the UConn Huskies beat the Butler Bulldogs, with a score of 53-41, making them the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Champions. Kemba Walker, who was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, was given the high honor of cutting down the net.

Kemba Walker: Hot Or Not?

Sports Illustrated thought Kemba Walker was hot enough to put him on the cover of their March Madness issue that hit newsstands last week. The stand-out player for the UConn Huskies led his team all the way to the Final Four and won the Bob Cousy Award which honors the top point guard in college basketball the title for excellent leadership, teamwork, success, and basketball fundamentals.

Walker, a junior,  is a sociology major at UConn. He grew up in the Bronx and attended Rice High School, a private school in Harlem with one of the best basketball programs in the country. In his junior year at Rice, Walker helped lead his team to a 53-51 win at Madison Square Garden over Derrick Rose and his school. Walker’s senior year average of 18.2 points per game landed him a spot on the McDonald’s All-American Team. Walker is no stranger to the Final Four line-up, in his freshman year at UConn, he led the Huskies to the Final Four. MVP of the Big East Tournament, Walker scored 130 points in five games, setting a Big East Tournament record.

Check out his epic buzzer beater that secured his team the win in the Big East Tournament this year:

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Walker is not only talented on the court, but his selfless nature which he credits to how his parents raised him, make him even more of a star. Walker’s father told the New York Post, “He gives most of his things away. At the Big East Championship Game, a young boy asked him for a sneaker. Kemba gave it to him.” His coach at UConn, Jim Calhoun said of him, “People who meet him think he’s the nicest kid in the world. And he is, off the court. On the court, he’s a killer, a killer with a smile.”

So, what do you think? On this last day of March, rounding out our March Madness series of Hot or Nots, is Kemba Walker hot or not?