NBA teams
Michael Wallace, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Kemba continues the celebration

NBA, Charlotte Hornets

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The bedroom was completely dark, the house was quiet and 2 a.m. was quickly approaching as Kemba Walker stretched across his bed, still giddy with adrenaline and unable to sleep on the eve of the Charlotte Hornets' season opener.

Six hours had passed since Walker got off the phone with his agent after agreeing to a four-year, $48 million contract extension Tuesday night that sets up his immediate family for the rest of their lives. And the once-relentless buzzing of his cell phone with congratulatory calls and texts had long ceased.

Yet still, Walker couldn't sleep.

It only made matters worse when he started watching reruns of the 1990s sitcom "Martin."

"I was trying my best to relax, but it just wasn't working out for me," Walker said. "I was trying to go to sleep. I turned the TV off, then just laid there in the dark. I turned it back on and watched some more 'Martin,' which is funny. So that's kind of hard to go to sleep on. I was just so anxious, so hyped, looking forward to getting the season started. I just knew something like this would happen."

Apparently, sleep deprivation is as synonymous with Walker as step-back, game-winning jumpers.

The fourth-year guard was driven by both during a 26-hour span that saw Walker solidify his future with a new deal and then launch a new era for the Hornets with Wednesday's 108-106 overtime win against the Milwaukee Bucks. After a sleepless night, Walker somehow found the energy to overcome a sluggish start to hit the two biggest shots of the game.

His 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left in regulation completed Charlotte's rally from a 24-point deficit in the second half to force the extra period. His step-back jumper with 5.1 seconds left won it in overtime.

"It's on me to make big shots," Walker said. "Everybody wants me to make that shot. My teammates, my coaching staff, everyone is like, 'Here, Kemba. Take the ball and win the game.' "

The Hornets couldn't have scripted a more dramatic way to usher in a new era. Charlotte completed the largest comeback in franchise history on a night it consummated a $4.5 million makeover that transitioned the team back to the Hornets after playing the past 10 seasons as the Bobcats.

Commemorative tickets with "The Comeback" theme printed on the backs were distributed to the sellout crowd of 19,439 at Time Warner Cable Arena. The marketing strategy was intended to highlight the return of the passion, pride and productive seasons the Hornets had during their initial stint in Charlotte from 1988 to 2002 before the team moved to New Orleans.

But the theme proved true on multiple fronts on an emotional night. Walker and his teammates went from hearing loud booing when the Hornets fell behind 74-50 with 6:43 left in the third quarter to barely being able to hear play calls amid deafening cheers as they carved their way back.

The Hornets outscored the Bucks 32-17 in the fourth quarter, when Walker scored nine of his game-high 26 points. Before then, he had missed 12 of his first 17 shots. But the Hornets rallied as a team, and turned the game around initially with their defense and energy. They held Milwaukee to 41 percent shooting in the fourth quarter and forced seven turnovers during that stretch.

It took free agency acquisition Lance Stephenson to fight through full body cramps down the stretch to provide a team-high 13 rebounds and eight assists to help offset his poor shooting performance.

It required Al Jefferson to battle through constant double-team coverage most of the game and still contribute 14 points and 10 rebounds. And the boosts from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams, who combined for 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting, were enough to set Walker's finishing blows.

"That's what it takes for us to win in this league," Walker said. "We had to come together as one, and that's what we did. I love to be in those last-second situations. I had no choice but to make those shots for my teammates, especially with the way I played earlier."

Walker will be challenged this season to smooth out those stretches of erratic play that have defined his first three seasons in the league. He has averaged 17.7 points each of the past two seasons and is one of the top-scoring point guards in the league.

His shooting has hovered right around 40 percent from the field the last two years, but he averaged a career-high 6.1 assists last season when the Hornets won 43 games and advanced to the playoffs.

If the Hornets are going to build on last season's turnaround, it's going to require consistency from Walker in addition to a steady dose of clutch plays late in games. He views the contract extension as a reward but also as a reminder of the level of expectation that comes with leading the team.

"I know what I'm capable of doing each and every night," Walker said. "When I don't show up and I don't do what I'm capable of, I know it can be my fault at times. I can take responsibility in a win or a loss. I'm happy we were able to get a deal done. I'm happy to be in this situation."

Charlotte coach Steve Clifford is just as thrilled to have a fearless competitor late in games. Walker was limited by cramps in both legs in overtime when Clifford approached him before the final possession.

"He's courageous," Clifford said of Walker. "He had a cramp in his foot when the score was tied. And I said, 'Are you good?' And he said, 'Aw, you know I'll make one more play.' "

Walker recalled the conversation going a bit differently.

"He asked me if I had one more pick-and-roll left in me," Walker said. "And I said, 'Yeah, if I can play, I definitely had one more left in me.' "

By the time Walker hobbled his way out of the shower, a bucket filled with ice and a dozen reporters were waiting at his locker late Wednesday night. The fatigue had finally settled in, and Walker requested some additional time to get himself together before he addressed questions about his big shots.

"Those last couple of plays, I really did relax," Walker said. "I had calmed down by then. I knew I had to make those last big plays [in regulation and overtime], and that's what I did."

Walker was then advised he better finally get some rest, because another big day loomed.

He's scheduled to officially sign his contract extension Thursday.

Suddenly, the adrenaline rush returned.

As did the energetic smile.

"It sets me up for my future, for my family," Walker said. "I just have to be smart and make the right decisions. I've been doing that for the past couple of years, so I'll be fine."

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