Kemba Walker is a fierce competitor. Kemba Walker is a gentleman.
Those aren’t mutually exclusive descriptions.
Walker, the Charlotte Hornets’ All-Star point guard, is hard-wired to win. You don’t make it to the NBA at 6-foot-1 without a multitude of toughness and persistence.
That doesn’t mean Walker must be a jerk to succeed. He was raised by working-class parents in a rough New York City neighborhood to respect others. To be humble. To treat those he encounters as he would want to be treated.
Last month, Walker received the NBA’s annual sportsmanship award, as voted by the league’s players.