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TORONTO — Ja’Kobe Walter had never been to Canada, but when he arrived in Toronto, he wanted to make an immediate impact.
Walter was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft on Wednesday. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard from McKinney, Texas, said he has high expectations joining his new team.
“I just want to do whatever I can and make an impact right away,” Walter said during a video conference call from the draft floor in New York City. “Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do it for them and really try to bring that passion to win.”
Walter, who averaged 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists as a freshman for the Baylor Bruins last season, said he hopes to fit in seamlessly with the Raptors’ young core of Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont.
“I watched all of them in college and the NBA,” said Walter, who had not attended team practices before being drafted by the Raptors. “Scottie is a big personality, and you know what he brings to the team: all the energy. RJ is like that, he can score well, and then Quickley is a great point guard.”
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“I feel like I’m going to fit in really well with them and I’m really excited.”
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Raptors general manager Bobby Webster, speaking to the media at the OVO Sports Centre in Toronto’s west end, said Walter was impressive because he was so well-rounded.
“He’s a consistent winner and he fits the Raptors’ criteria for a two-way player. He can shoot, he can defend,” Webster said. “We’ve had our eye on him for a while, but we didn’t expect him to be No. 19. So, we feel great.”
For his part, Walter believes he brings another quality to the field.
“I’m just focusing more on my shot creation,” he said. “I think a lot of people forget my ability to shoot and score. So I say that’s a part of my game that I want to showcase.”
Walter’s given name is Ja’Kobe (pronounced juh-KOH’-bee), a combination of the names of two of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The 19-year-old smiled and said that it was destiny that he would eventually be drafted into the NBA, judging by his name.
“I’ve talked about this for a long time with my family. I’ve prayed a lot for this moment,” Walter said. “Now that it’s finally here and this dream has come true, I’m so grateful.”
Toronto also holds the first overall pick in the second round, at No. 31. This is the first time in NBA draft history that a second-round pick has been picked on the same day as a first-round pick.
The selection process will resume Thursday afternoon, giving teams time to review their progress from the first round and what to expect from the second round.
“We could be having a heated debate tomorrow morning about who to take and then simultaneously get calls (from other teams) saying, ‘Well, can we take more than one? Can we back off a little bit and still take the same guy?'” Webster said. “It’s a little bit novel for all of us to have two days of the draft and see what happens.”
Zaccharie Risacher of France was selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks.
Zach Eddy was selected ninth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Draft. The 22-year-old center from Toronto is the first Canadian to be selected this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 26, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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