Shoutout to Los Angeles!
When the NBA reaches playoff season, the intensity ratchets up to very extreme levels, and as a result, not a lot of players can handle the pressure. However, that’s certainly not the case for Lonnie Walker IV, who went from a number of DNPs to becoming a hero for the Los Angeles Lakers in their Game 4 win against the Golden State Warriors.
Not taking a single shot during the first three quarters of the game, Walker went from being completely irrelevant to outright changing the landscape of the NBA. Off 6-of-9 shooting, Walker racked up 15 points, giving the Lakers an offensive push that ultimately netted them a 3-1 series lead against the defending champion Golden State Warriors — and one win away from the Western Conference Finals.
If that’s not amazing enough, things get even better for Walker, as he’s the first Lakers player to come off the bench to score 15 or more points in a playoff fourth quarter in a whopping 26 years (and only the second overall), according to Los Angeles’ official Twitter account. And who was the first Laker? (RELATED: Bronny James’ $7.4 Million NIL Value Worth More Than 68% Of NBA Players, Some NFL Stars Including Trevor Lawrence)
None other than the legendary Kobe Bryant, who put 17 points on the board in the fourth quarter of the May 8, 1997 postseason contest between the Lakers and Utah Jazz, a game that saw a 104-84 LA victory.
Lonnie Walker IV is the first Lakers bench player to score 15+ points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game since Kobe Bryant exactly 26 years ago today. pic.twitter.com/EPbinKFOLU
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 9, 2023
Shoutout to Lonnie! Former Miami Hurricane!