My Nemesis Is On The Move

Throughout the course of my fanhood, there have been many a foe that I have richly booed as they made their way through Philadelphia. There are those players that you boo because they are the star on the other team, there are ones you boo for being flamboyant or animated, ones you boo because they just stuck a dagger in you and then taunt the crowd, and various other reasons. There has been one player in my lifetime that I have despised more than anyone else and that is one Antoine Walker. I can tell you quite clearly where the hate developed: the 2002 playoff series against the Celtics. That Sixers team was the defending Eastern Conference Champs and dropped to the 6th seed in the playoffs in the last few days of the regular season (thanks in no small part to a "gimme" game they blew in Chicago). This was also when the first round used to be a five game series. Boston took the first two games and the series came back to Philadelphia. The next two games were incredibly memorable because the Sixers won both in thrilling fashion. Game 3 was eeked out thanks to Derrick Coleman somehow dusting it off to tip in a huge basket and Game 4 was won by Iverson leading the way and drilling a pump-fake jumper at the elbow to clinch it. Game 5 back in Boston.

Now I won't go into much detail other than to say the game was close until the 4th and then the Sixers had no shot. The Celts hit every single shot they threw in the air. I was stunned and will never forget it. They scored 42 points in the quarter mostly on 3's. The Sixers, realizing the season was over, pulled their starters but Boston kept shooting. Then it happened. After hitting a 3 in the corner in front of the Sixers bench, Antoine Walker turned around and looked at Iverson and did his trademark shimmy. A classless move that was rewarded with an immediate technical and him being pulled from the game. Afterward during the post-game press conference he looked in the camera and said plainly, "I don't like Philly and so I'm even happier to knock them out". Now as fans, we need something to drive us, to give us motivation to hate an element of our rivals. This did it for me. I always disliked the Celts but now it was stronger, and I viewed Walker as the epitome of our nemesis. Yes it was me taking it to another level but why not? Why not be passionate in your likes AND dislikes?

I've always viewed Walker as overrated and I think his track record is starting to speak for itself. How come he can't latch on anywhere? Dallas didn't want him. Neither did Atlanta, the Celtics again, and now Miami. This is a man who, supposedly in the prime of his career, had the lowest FG% of any player in the league who averaged at least 8 points. In 2005-06, he was DEAD LAST in the league in plus/minus rating. Try on these career stats for size: FG% - .415/3P% - .325/FT% - .635. Tell me why you're not begging for him to come to your team? He has slow footwork, poor defensive rotation, a propensity to throw away passes to the wing, the desire to hoist 3's at inopportune times, and has famously been suspended by Pat Riley for being overweight. I really don't find the need to go on, I'm done, I've said what I've wanted. He's on the move to Minnesota so at least he won't have as many opportunities to hit the Sixers with another late-game dagger and shimmy and stick it to me more.