by LARRY VAUGHT
Kenny Walker still remembers when he had to use two hands to dunk the basketball.
“I could not palm the basketball. It would slip out of my hands,” said the former UK All-American and NBA player. “I had to cup the ball around my hand and wrist. I had to learn how to jump even higher to dunk. Sometimes you just have to learn new things.”
That’s certainly what he has been doing as he prepares for the Dancing With The Lexington Stars May 30 at the Carrick House in Lexington. It’s a fund-raising event for the Rotary Club and the charities it supports.
“The Rotary Club has asked me to do it almost every year and I have had something going on or maybe just got scared and backed out,” Walker said. “Monica Owens is a good athlete and dancer. I supported her and she kept asking me to do it, so I am finally doing it.”
Owens played in the high school state basketball tournament twice for Cumberland High School
“I know what dancing is all about. I wanted to dance with Monica but she won last year so she was not allowed to do it. My partner, Rosie, is a wonderful young lady and she is trying to choreograph something that will work for me. I am not going to guarantee a win but I got some moves. But it is for a good cause to raise a lot of money for local charities. Even if I don’t win, I want to help raise money.
“I am looking forward to it. The practice sessions are important and I just have to get my rhythm down. I am trying to treat this like a basketball game and make sure I am well prepared to perform well.”
Walker, a Georgia native, was always prepared at Kentucky. He was a two-time All-American and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1985 for coach Joe Hall and 1986 for coach Eddie Sutton. He is UK’s second all-time leading scorer with 2,080 points and seventh all-time leading rebounder with 942 in 132 games. Walker, the fifth overall pick in the 1986 NBA draft, also won the 1989 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Walker currently is a University of Kentucky basketball analyst for radio station 590 WVLK in Lexington working with Larry Glover who hopes coach Mark Pope can get the right pieces in place for next year.
“He’s got to make the right player evaluations because this last season just was not acceptable to most Kentucky fans and I know he wasn’t happy with the season, either,” Walker said.
