Wally Walker
Encyclopedia
Walter Frederick Walker (born July 18, 1954) is an American former professional basketball
player. Walker is best known for his National Basketball Association
career - both as a player and as a front office executive - for the Seattle SuperSonics
.
Cavaliers to its only Atlantic Coast Conference
Tournament championship and its first NCAA Tournament
berth in 1976.
He is the only Cavalier to receive the Everett Case Award as the ACC Tournament's Most Valuable Player following Virginia's upset of three nationally-ranked teams en route to the ACC title. Enjoying one of the finest individual seasons ever by a Cavalier cager during the 1975-76 season, Walker scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the 1976 tournament championship game against the University of North Carolina
.
Walker's scoring average of 22.1 points during the 1975-76 season ranks as the sixth best in UVa history and his 1,849 career points is sixth on the all-time Cavalier list. He was a first-team Academic All American in 1976. His number 41 was retired by Virginia. The Portland Trail Blazers
took him in the first round of the 1976 draft, the fifth overall pick.
, graduating in 1987 with an MBA. He worked for seven years at Goldman Sachs
http://www.nba.com/sonics/community/Wally_Walker__President_and_C-39974-51.html and also started his own money management business, Walker Capital, before returning to the NBA in the early 90s as a part-time TV commentator and consultant for his former team, the Seattle SuperSonics
, owned by Barry Ackerley.
, Walker was named by Ackerley to be President and General Manager
of the team. The Sonics continued to be successful for the next four seasons with a roster built primarily around Gary Payton
, Shawn Kemp
, Detlef Schrempf
, Sam Perkins
, Nate McMillan
and Hersey Hawkins, with Hawkins as a Walker acquisition. In 1997-98, the Sonics won the Pacific Division with a record of 61-21 and Walker finished second in Executive of the Year voting.
During the 2003 season, Walker engineered a trade with the Bucks for star guard Ray Allen, along with Flip Murray, Kevin Ollie and a first-round pick that became Luke Ridnour, to the Sonics for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason. The team won the Pacific Division both years, 1996–1997 and 1997-1998 – the 1998 team was a complete rebuild with only three players remaining from the previous year’s roster.
In 2002, the Sonics team was built on a payroll that was below the league average yet yielded a return-on-investment that was among the league’s best in terms of dollars per win. Over a six-year period, the Sonics average cost per win was the 8th best in the league at $1.1 million per victory, including a low of $850 thousand per victory for the 1999-2000 season. http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/misc/salaries00.txt During the six-season stretch between 1998–99 and 2003-04 seasons, however, the Sonics made the playoffs twice, getting eliminated in the first round each time.
In 2004-05 the Sonics won the Northwest Division with a record of 52-30, the fourth Division Title that the Sonics won while Walker was team President, with a roster composed exclusively of players he acquired. During the twelve seasons that he held the title of team President, the Sonics had the fifth-best winning percentage (59%) in the NBA, behind only the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers. The Sonics' winning percentage between 1998–2006, dipped to 51.7%.
Sonic drafts between 1998 and 2003 were rated the best in the NBA by The New York Times, though some of the talent was traded or allowed to leave as free agents, such as Desmond Mason, Bobby Simmons, Earl Watson, Corey Maggette, and Willie Green. During his 12 years as president, the Sonics selected future NBA starters and reserves Eric Snow, Mark Blount, Earl Watson and Mikael Gelabale, all in the second round. He signed free agents including Terry Cummings, Aaron Williams, Ruben Patterson
, Reggie Evans, Antonio Daniels and Damien Wilkins, many of whom later signed higher contracts after moving on from the Sonics. Over 12 years, while never drafting higher than the 10th pick, Walker supervised the drafting of Rashard Lewis
, who became an All-Star in 2005. Walker had at least one All Star on the Sonics' roster each of his 12 years as President. He also served as President of the WNBA Seattle Storm, who won the WNBA championship in 2004.
During the 2005 offseason, following the franchise's first 50-win season in 7 years, popular head coach and former Sonic player Nate McMillan signed a contract with a Northwest rival, the Portland Trail Blazers. A month earlier with the blessing of the Sonics organization, long-time assistant Dwayne Casey, a potential successor as head coach if McMillan were not to re-sign, agreed to be the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Walker and then-GM Rick Sund eventually filled the vacancy with assistant Bob Weiss. Weiss was fired in January of the following season, after going only 13-17. Walker and Sund replaced Weiss with assistant Bob Hill, who coached the team to a 22-30 record.
Wally’s seven-year tenure as GM of the Sonics has proven to be among Seattle's most successful. During the regular season, Wally's winning percentage exceeded 65%, including five playoff appearances and one trip to the NBA finals (1996). This winning percentage is the highest of any GM of a major Seattle team in the city’s history, including the Seahawks, Mariners, Sonics and Storm. His teams’ postseason performance is also impressive – ranking fourth in overall postseason winning percentage with 51% (Tim Ruskell, Seahawks 57%; Zollie Volchok
, Sonics 55%; Rick Sund, Sonics 55%).
Walker was part of five of the Sonics’ six division-winning teams: one as a player (1978–79); four as team president (1995–96, 1996-97 1997-98, 2004–05). And he is one of only two people—player, coach, and/or member of the front office or staff—to be part of all three of the Sonics’ Western Conference Championship seasons (1977–78, 1978–79 and 1995–96); the other person is trainer Frank Furtado.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. Walker is best known for his National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
career - both as a player and as a front office executive - for the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
.
Collegiate career
A prolific frontcourt scorer while in college, "Wonderful" Wally Walker led the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
Cavaliers to its only Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Tournament championship and its first NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
berth in 1976.
He is the only Cavalier to receive the Everett Case Award as the ACC Tournament's Most Valuable Player following Virginia's upset of three nationally-ranked teams en route to the ACC title. Enjoying one of the finest individual seasons ever by a Cavalier cager during the 1975-76 season, Walker scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the 1976 tournament championship game against the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
.
Walker's scoring average of 22.1 points during the 1975-76 season ranks as the sixth best in UVa history and his 1,849 career points is sixth on the all-time Cavalier list. He was a first-team Academic All American in 1976. His number 41 was retired by Virginia. The Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
took him in the first round of the 1976 draft, the fifth overall pick.
Playing career
His playing career averages were 7.0 points and 3.1 rebounds http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WALKEWA01 during eight years with Portland, Seattle and Houston. He won two championship rings (with Portland and Seattle) in his first and third seasons. He was a starter for the Sonics in 1981-82 and the next season for the Houston Rockets. After ending his NBA career in 1984, Walker played 11 matches in Italian Pro League in Milan and then enrolled in Stanford Graduate School of BusinessStanford Graduate School of Business
The Stanford Graduate School of Business is one of the professional schools of Stanford University, in Stanford, California and is broadly regarded as one of the best business schools in the world.The Stanford GSB offers a general management Master of Business Administration degree, the Sloan...
, graduating in 1987 with an MBA. He worked for seven years at Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
http://www.nba.com/sonics/community/Wally_Walker__President_and_C-39974-51.html and also started his own money management business, Walker Capital, before returning to the NBA in the early 90s as a part-time TV commentator and consultant for his former team, the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, owned by Barry Ackerley.
Front office
Following the 1993-94 NBA season1993-94 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets*Rookie of the Year: Chris Webber, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
, Walker was named by Ackerley to be President and General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the team. The Sonics continued to be successful for the next four seasons with a roster built primarily around Gary Payton
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton is a former American professional basketball point guard. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals...
, Shawn Kemp
Shawn Kemp
Shawn T. Kemp is a former American professional basketball player, who played in the National Basketball Association for 14 seasons. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Second Team member.-Early years:...
, Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf is a retired German NBA basketball player.-High school and college career:...
, Sam Perkins
Sam Perkins
Samuel Perkins is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth." He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of Michael Jordan...
, Nate McMillan
Nate McMillan
Nathaniel "Nate" McMillan is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers...
and Hersey Hawkins, with Hawkins as a Walker acquisition. In 1997-98, the Sonics won the Pacific Division with a record of 61-21 and Walker finished second in Executive of the Year voting.
During the 2003 season, Walker engineered a trade with the Bucks for star guard Ray Allen, along with Flip Murray, Kevin Ollie and a first-round pick that became Luke Ridnour, to the Sonics for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason. The team won the Pacific Division both years, 1996–1997 and 1997-1998 – the 1998 team was a complete rebuild with only three players remaining from the previous year’s roster.
In 2002, the Sonics team was built on a payroll that was below the league average yet yielded a return-on-investment that was among the league’s best in terms of dollars per win. Over a six-year period, the Sonics average cost per win was the 8th best in the league at $1.1 million per victory, including a low of $850 thousand per victory for the 1999-2000 season. http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/misc/salaries00.txt During the six-season stretch between 1998–99 and 2003-04 seasons, however, the Sonics made the playoffs twice, getting eliminated in the first round each time.
In 2004-05 the Sonics won the Northwest Division with a record of 52-30, the fourth Division Title that the Sonics won while Walker was team President, with a roster composed exclusively of players he acquired. During the twelve seasons that he held the title of team President, the Sonics had the fifth-best winning percentage (59%) in the NBA, behind only the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers. The Sonics' winning percentage between 1998–2006, dipped to 51.7%.
Sonic drafts between 1998 and 2003 were rated the best in the NBA by The New York Times, though some of the talent was traded or allowed to leave as free agents, such as Desmond Mason, Bobby Simmons, Earl Watson, Corey Maggette, and Willie Green. During his 12 years as president, the Sonics selected future NBA starters and reserves Eric Snow, Mark Blount, Earl Watson and Mikael Gelabale, all in the second round. He signed free agents including Terry Cummings, Aaron Williams, Ruben Patterson
Ruben Patterson
Ruben Nathaniel Patterson is a former American professional basketball player. During his career, he played as a small forward and shooting guard. During his college career at the University of Cincinnati, Patterson earned third-team All-American honors and helped lead the Bearcats to Conference...
, Reggie Evans, Antonio Daniels and Damien Wilkins, many of whom later signed higher contracts after moving on from the Sonics. Over 12 years, while never drafting higher than the 10th pick, Walker supervised the drafting of Rashard Lewis
Rashard Lewis
Rashard Quovon Lewis is an American professional basketball player, currently with the NBA's Washington Wizards as a small forward and a power forward.-Seattle SuperSonics:...
, who became an All-Star in 2005. Walker had at least one All Star on the Sonics' roster each of his 12 years as President. He also served as President of the WNBA Seattle Storm, who won the WNBA championship in 2004.
During the 2005 offseason, following the franchise's first 50-win season in 7 years, popular head coach and former Sonic player Nate McMillan signed a contract with a Northwest rival, the Portland Trail Blazers. A month earlier with the blessing of the Sonics organization, long-time assistant Dwayne Casey, a potential successor as head coach if McMillan were not to re-sign, agreed to be the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Walker and then-GM Rick Sund eventually filled the vacancy with assistant Bob Weiss. Weiss was fired in January of the following season, after going only 13-17. Walker and Sund replaced Weiss with assistant Bob Hill, who coached the team to a 22-30 record.
Wally’s seven-year tenure as GM of the Sonics has proven to be among Seattle's most successful. During the regular season, Wally's winning percentage exceeded 65%, including five playoff appearances and one trip to the NBA finals (1996). This winning percentage is the highest of any GM of a major Seattle team in the city’s history, including the Seahawks, Mariners, Sonics and Storm. His teams’ postseason performance is also impressive – ranking fourth in overall postseason winning percentage with 51% (Tim Ruskell, Seahawks 57%; Zollie Volchok
Zollie Volchok
Zollie Volchok was the general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association. He was born in Salem, Oregon. He guided the team to an NBA championship in 1979 and won the 1983 NBA Executive of the Year Award....
, Sonics 55%; Rick Sund, Sonics 55%).
Walker was part of five of the Sonics’ six division-winning teams: one as a player (1978–79); four as team president (1995–96, 1996-97 1997-98, 2004–05). And he is one of only two people—player, coach, and/or member of the front office or staff—to be part of all three of the Sonics’ Western Conference Championship seasons (1977–78, 1978–79 and 1995–96); the other person is trainer Frank Furtado.