Holder of three college degrees, Walter owns a travel agency in New York, is a partner in a real estate firm, and has been admitted to the bar in Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. In reality, that’s the oncourt face of Walter Dukes and is only a distant relative of the non-playing man. Fans tend to think of him as an NBA hanger-on who may someday drift into oblivion because he lacks other talents. Reminiscent of a windmill gone berserk, Dukes appears to be a freakish and uncoordinated athlete with no noticeable brainpower.
Such are the perils of playing with, much less against, the man who is variously called Walter, Wally, Waldo, or Big Waldo. Piston publicist Fran Smith frantically followed Don into the locker room. Late last season, Detroit’s Don Ohl left a game early to have three stitches sewn above his eye after a mix-up under the basket. McGuire has since retired to the Detroit bench as coach, but the mayhem goes on.
“There are times,” he said, “when I think I’d just as soon play against Dukes.” Staggering to the bench, McGuire shook his aching head. Walter got the ball, but his conquest didn’t ease the pain of Piston teammate Dick McGuire, who had just been lacerated by a Dukes elbow. Detroit and Cincinnati players parted like the Red Sea and seven-foot Walter Dukes flailed his way toward his objective-a rebound.
Walter r nba pro#
The owner of two of the most terrifying elbows in pro basketball violently cut a swath through the crowd beneath the basket. Neither has the NBA seen many seven-footers like Walter Dukes, on and off the court. Everybody can’t be a Russell or a Chamberlain.” “I made the all-star team twice, I played eight years in the league, what do people expect you to do? Don’t forget, I played in a time when there were two pretty good centers in the league named Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. “I’ve heard that, but I can’t agree with it,” Dukes said. He still got an occasional earful from his critics, who considered Dukes to be, well, an NBA wash out. When Pepe caught up with him in 1978, Dukes was back on his feet and serving as an assistant basketball coach at little Hunter College. Then, Dukes would be involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed for more than a year. As always it was a silly misunderstanding. Dukes would be charged with practicing law without a license. But trouble always seemed to complicate Dukes’ life in the NBA, and the same was true after his pro career.
Walter r nba professional#
The 33-year-old Dukes had other professional interests, including a budding legal career, and would survive just fine without the NBA pay. and that froze my expectations of income.” But nobody said a thing to me about not playing until just before the training camp opened in September. “I wouldn’t have minded being let out,” Dukes complained, “if they had warned me ahead of time. So, in October 1963, Detroit cut him to make way for, drumroll please, the legendary, pistol-packing seven-footer Reggie Harding. The Pistons tried to trade Dukes after the summer but had no takers. In this article, which appeared in SPORT Magazine in January 1963, writer Hal Butler profiles “Big Waldo,” as he was known, in what would be his final NBA season. The Knicks quickly unloaded Dukes, but he and his famously sharp elbows hung around the association for eight seasons, mostly in Detroit. But he eventually signed with the Knicks for the lower working wage, then hurt his knee in his rookie season. The hang up forced Dukes onto the vaudeville circuit with the Globetrotters for two years. “I had an offer from the Globetrotters for $55,000, but I was willing to take twenty from the Knicks because I wanted to play in the NBA. Memphis Grizzlies (from Warriors): Elmarko Jackson, guard, KansasĢ4.,” Dukes remembered his negotiations with the Knicks.
Atlanta Hawks (from Kings): Mark Williams, forward, DukeĢ3. Milwaukee Bucks: Xavier Booker, center, Michigan StateĢ2. Memphis Grizzlies: Cody Williams, forward, ColoradoĢ1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Omaha Biliew, forward, Iowa StateĢ0.
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers): Kyle Filipowski, forward, Dukeġ9. Houston Rockets (from Nets): Alexandros Samodurav, forward, Greeceġ7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Mackenzie Mgbako, wing, Indianaġ6. Related: Updated 2023 NBA power rankings 2024 NBA mock draft: Non-lottery picksġ5. Outside of that, McCain has the skills necessary to become a lottery pick due to his sweet mid-range game and ability off the dribble. But he also has an ability to run an offense. The 6-foot-3 McCain will likely play the two-guard for Duke as a freshman with Proctor handling point.
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