The Detroit Pistons made history in 1984 by drafting the first ever NBA draft pick from the University of Detroit Mercy. That’s right, there was never a No. 1 overall draft pick before Detroit, and what a pick it was. At the time, Jimmy Walker was just another country boy from the Michigan State midwest, but the Pistons saw something special in him.
It’s a rare thing that a player gets drafted first overall at the NBA draft. That’s Jimmy Walker, and he was a rare talent to begin with. But there’s a story behind his selection: he was born out of wedlock, and had no father to raise him. This would be a huge burden for anyone, let alone an 18-year-old who has no idea who his biological father was.
Jimmy Walker was a first-round draft pick in the NBA, but he also went undrafted in the NFL Draft. He was also a first-round draft pick in the NBA, but he was also a first-round draft pick in the NBA. He was also a first-round draft pick in the NFL Draft, but he was also a first-round draft pick in the NFL Draft. He was also a first-round draft pick in the NFL Draft, but he was also a first-round draft pick in the NFL Draft.
The Detroit Pistons will make the No. 1 overall selection in the NBA draft for just the third time in history (and the first time in 51 years). But we’re not here to discuss Cade Cunningham, who will likely be the Pistons’ first-round pick. No, today we’re talking about Jimmy Walker, Detroit’s first-ever No. 1 overall NBA draft selection. As some of you may know, Jimmy Walker is the father of former Fab Five member, 13-year NBA veteran, and current ESPN commentator Jalen Rose, despite the fact that the two never met.
Walker had a successful NBA career after a spectacular scoring career at Providence College. But did you know he’s the first guy in history to be selected with the first selection in one sport and the last pick in another?
At Providence College, Jimmy Walker was a two-time All-American.
Walker was a standout at Providence College after being discovered on the streets of Boston by Celtics great Sam Jones, who helped him get into the renowned Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina.
He averaged 20.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists as a sophomore in 1964-65, leading the Friars to a 24-2 record and a trip to the Elite 8. He was awarded a Consensus First-Team All-American after averaging 24.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists the next season, despite Providence’s NCAA Tournament exit in the first round.
Walker was explosive as a senior in 1966-67, leading the country in scoring with 30.4 points per game while also averaging 6.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, earning him a second straight First-Team All-American award. His 2,045 total points were the school record for almost four decades, until Ryan Gomes beat it in 2005. Walker, on the other hand, was at a disadvantage since freshmen weren’t permitted to play varsity back then, so he only played three seasons.
Walker was the first selection in the NBA draft in 1967 and the final pick in the NFL draft in 1967.
There was no lottery back then, thus the No. 1 overall selection in the NBA draft was chosen differently than it is now. Instead, the clubs who finished bottom in each division were guaranteed the first two choices. The Baltimore Bullets ended last in the Eastern Conference with a 20-61 record, while the Pistons finished last in the Western Conference with a 30-51 record. The top selection was determined by a simple coin flip, which Detroit won, giving them their first-ever No. 1 overall pick, which they used on Walker.
However, some may not be aware (and maybe weren’t aware at the time) because Walker, who never played football at Providence, was also selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 445th and last selection in the 1967 NFL draft. That’s correct. Mr. Irrelevant was Jimmy Walker’s moniker.
The Indiana Pacers selected Walker as the first overall selection in the 1967 ABA draft.
He was a two-time winner. All-Star Game in the NBA
In a 1975 game between the Kings and the Bullets, Jimmy Walker shoots over former Pistons teammate Dave Bing | Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Walker spent the first five seasons of his pro career with the Pistons after being selected first overall in the 1967 NBA draft. While he was a two-time NBA All-Star in Detroit, he could only assist the Pistons to one playoff trip.
Walker joined the Rockets in 1972, but was traded three games into his second season to the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, which became the Kansas City Kings before to Walker’s last season in the NBA in 1975-76.
Walker averaged 16.7 points, 3.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in 698 regular-season games across nine seasons. He died in July 2007, at the age of 63, the month before he was scheduled to meet Jalen Rose for the first time.
Sports Reference provided the statistics.
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Jimmy Walker was the first overall pick of the 1983 NBA Draft, which had a rich cache of players. The draft included six Hall of Famers, a star running back, and an all-time great quarterback. But Jimmy Walker was the only player taken after the first round.. Read more about jalen rose father and let us know what you think.
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