M. J. Walker

M. J. Walker
Walker with Florida State in 2018
No. 1 – Greensboro Swarm
PositionSmall forward / shooting guard
LeagueNBA G League
Personal information
Born (1998-03-28) March 28, 1998 (age 26)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight213 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High schoolJonesboro (Jonesboro, Georgia)
CollegeFlorida State (2017–2021)
NBA draft2021: undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2023Westchester Knicks
2021–2022Phoenix Suns
2023Vancouver Bandits
2023Brampton Honey Badgers
2023–2024Saint-Quentin
2024Greensboro Swarm
2024Canterbury Rams
2024–presentGreensboro Swarm
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2016 Chile Team

James Michael "M. J." Walker Jr. (born March 28, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for Florida State Seminoles.

High school career

Walker at the 2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

Walker attended Jonesboro High School in Jonesboro, Georgia. He initially played football but he decided to focus on basketball after the summer of 2016. As a sophomore in 2014–15, Walker averaged 17.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.0 steals leading Jonesboro to a 32–1 record and the 2015 Georgia Class 4A state championship. As a junior in 2015–16, Walker averaged 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists leading Jonesboro to a 28–5 record, regional title, and 2015 state title. As a senior in 2016–17, Walker averaged 27.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists leading Jonesboro to a 23–6 record.[citation needed]

Recruiting

Walker was a five-star recruit who received offers from Florida State, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, UCLA, and Virginia Tech. Walker committed to playing college basketball for Florida State.[1]

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
M. J. Walker
SG 		Riverdale, GA Jonesboro (GA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) May 24, 2017 
Star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 92
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 27  247Sports: 35  ESPN: 27
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Florida State 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  • "2017 Florida State Seminoles Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 6, 2018.

College career

As a sophomore, Walker averaged 7.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Florida State compiled a 29–8 record and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.[2] At the conclusion of his junior season, Walker was named All-ACC Honorable Mention.[3] As a senior, he averaged 12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, earning Second Team All-ACC honors. Following the season, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing the additional season of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]

Professional career

Westchester Knicks (2021)

After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Walker signed with the New York Knicks on August 20, 2021,[5] but was waived on October 16.[6] In October 2021, he joined the Westchester Knicks as an affiliate player.[7] Walker averaged 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

Phoenix Suns (2021–2022)

He signed a 10-day COVID-19 hardship exemption contract with the Phoenix Suns on December 30, 2021.[8] He appeared briefly in two games for the Suns that season.

Return to Westchester (2022–2023)

On January 9, 2022, Walker was reacquired by the Westchester Knicks. On September 22, Walker resigned with the Knicks on a training camp deal but was waived a day later.[9]

On October 24, 2022, Walker was named to the training camp roster for the Knicks.[10]

Vancouver Bandits (2023)

On June 6, 2023, Walker signed with the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.[11] However, he was released on July 8 after averaging 11.2 points through 9 games for the club.[12]

Brampton Honey Badgers (2023)

On July 29, 2023, Walker signed with the Brampton Honey Badgers ahead of the postseason.[13]

Saint-Quentin (2023–2024)

On August 3, 2023, Walker signed with Saint-Quentin of the LNB Pro A.[14]

Greensboro Swarm (2024)

On January 19, 2024, Walker joined the Greensboro Swarm.[15]

Canterbury Rams (2024)

On March 12, 2024, Walker signed with the Canterbury Rams of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) for the 2024 season.[16]

Return to Greensboro (2024–present)

On October 27, 2024, Walker rejoined the Greensboro Swarm,[17] but was waived on November 13, after one game.[18] However, he was re-signed six days later.[19]

National team career

Walker played for the United States national under-18 team at the 2016 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in Valdivia, Chile. In four games, he averaged 2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[20]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Phoenix 2 0 4.2 .000 .000 – .5 .5 1.0 .0 .0
Career 2 0 4.2 .000 .000 – .5 .5 1.0 .0 .0

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2017–18 Florida State 35 1 18.8 .379 .345 .754 1.7 1.1 .6 .1 7.0
2018–19 Florida State 35 34 25.9 .340 .328 .778 2.2 1.6 .8 .2 7.5
2019–20 Florida State 26 24 25.2 .371 .361 .803 1.7 1.5 .8 .2 10.6
2020–21 Florida State 24 23 29.0 .436 .423 .797 2.5 2.5 .9 .4 12.2
Career 120 82 24.3 .380 .361 .785 2.0 1.6 .8 .2 9.0

Personal life

Walker is the son of James and Jackie Walker, and has an older sister, Amoni, who plays for Miles College. His father, James, played college basketball at Norfolk State University and his mother, Jackie, played women's college basketball for Hampton University.[21]

References

  1. ^ "ESPN Recruiting Profile of M. J. Walker". ESPN. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  2. ^ McGahee, Wayne (March 29, 2019). "What will Florida State men's basketball look like next season?". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  3. ^ "2020 ACC Men's Basketball Award Winners Announced". theacc.com. Atlantic Coast Conference. March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  4. ^ Staley, Antwan (May 13, 2021). "Florida State guard M.J. Walker officially declares for 2021 NBA Draft". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "Knicks Sign M.J. Walker". NBA.com. August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  6. ^ "Knicks Waive Brandon Knight, Aamir Simms and M.J. Walker". NBA.com. October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "Westchester Knicks Announce Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. October 25, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Zimmerman, Kevin (December 30, 2021). "Phoenix Suns sign M.J. Walker on 10-day hardship deal". Arizona Sports. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "2021-22 NBA G League transactions". gleague.nba.com. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "Westchester Knicks Announce 2022-23 Training Camp Roster". oursportscentral.com. October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  11. ^ "Bandits Sign NBA-Experienced Guard MJ Walker". TheBandits.ca. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  12. ^ "Vancouver Bandits Release MJ Walker". TheBandits.ca. July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Warrener, Kyle (July 29, 2023). "NBA EXPERIENCED GUARD M.J. WALKER SIGNS WITH HONEY BADGERS AHEAD OF POSTSEASON PLAY". HoneyBadgers.ca. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  14. ^ "Saint-Quentin officialise l'arrivée de M.J. Walker". BEBasket.fr (in French). August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "Swarm Complete Transaction with Westchester Knicks". NBA.com. January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  16. ^ "Former NBA Guard MJ Walker Signs With Rams". canterburyrams.basketball. March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  17. ^ "Greensboro Swarm Announce Training Camp Roster for 2024-25 Season". NBA.com. October 27, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  18. ^ "Greensboro Swarm Complete Multiple Transactions". NBA.com. November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "2024-2025 Greensboro Swarm Transaction History". RealGM.com. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  20. ^ "James Michael Walker". fiba.basketball. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  21. ^ "M. J. Walker at Florida State University". Athletics at Florida State University. July 28, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.