Antoine Walker Is Still Plugging Away in the D-League

Ballard describes a profoundly depressing scene from his apartment.

"The air is thick with the smell of smoke. The blinds are drawn. A lighter sits on the coffee table, next to a giant jug of Crystal Geyser water. Unlit incense sticks are nearby. On the TV a game of NBA 2K12 is paused in the second quarter—the Pacers versus the Spurs. There is a large box of Cheez-Its on the floor and bagged-up cartons of Kentucky Fried Chicken in the corner. Boxes of Corn Pops and Cap’n Crunch line the top of the refrigerator. In five hours Walker will take the court for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA’s Developmental League. For now he has agreed to talk about how and why he came to be here—a three-time All-Star living in a $915-a-month apartment he shares with reserve guard Chris Davis, and playing for a salary of less than $25,000. He has no car, subsists mainly on cold cuts and fast food and plays in front of crowds as small as 155."

Here’s the description of his present playing condition.

"Last season he was at least in shape, or close to it. This year, he is a good 40 pounds above his playing weight. He is impossible to miss on the court, with his wide hips, ample rear end and sloped stomach. Within 60 seconds Walker began grabbing his shorts, forcing his breath out in great gusts. By the middle of the second quarter he looked as if he’d run a marathon."

Walker’s critics will feel vindicated, I suppose, but this is just sad.

[Photo via Getty]