Chet Walker
Chester "Chet" Walker (February 22, 1940 – June 8, 2024) was an American professional basketball player, renowned for his smooth scoring ability and nicknamed "Chet the Jet" for his agility.[1][2]
Walker played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), primarily as a small forward for the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls, amassing over 18,000 career points.[3][1] A seven-time All-Star, he contributed to the Philadelphia 76ers' 1967 NBA championship as a key scorer alongside Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer.[2][3] His consistent performance included averaging 18.2 points per game over his career, with notable durability in missing fewer than 20 games in most seasons.[1] Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, Walker's legacy also extends to his college success at Bradley University, where he led the team to the 1960 National Invitation Tournament title and became the program's all-time leading scorer.[2][4]
Early Life and Education
Childhood and Family Background
Chester Walker was born on February 22, 1940, in Bethlehem, Mississippi, to John and Regenia Walker as the youngest of their ten children.[5][6] His family operated a small farm and participated in cotton picking alongside other siblings.[7] At age three, Walker's family moved north to Benton Harbor, Michigan, where they resided in a housing project amid conditions of poverty.[3][8] This relocation reflected broader patterns of African American migration from the rural South during the era, seeking improved economic opportunities in industrial areas of the Midwest.[5] Walker's early years were marked by economic hardship and familial reliance on manual labor, fostering resilience that later influenced his athletic dedication.[3][2]High School and Recruitment
Chet Walker attended Benton Harbor High School in Benton Harbor, Michigan, graduating in 1958.[9] There, he excelled in basketball, earning all-state honors as a junior in 1957 and leading the team to its third regional title in four years the following season.[10] In his senior year, Walker guided Benton Harbor to the 1958 Class A state finals, scoring a career-high 41 points in a 70-29 rout of Niles to become the school's all-time leading scorer for both a single season and overall career.[10] Key tournament performances included 34 points in a 70-67 regional final victory over Grand Rapids Christian, 28 points and 24 rebounds in an 81-58 semifinal win against Flint Central, and 25 points in the 71-68 championship loss to Detroit Austin.[10] Walker's recruitment drew interest from multiple universities, including Iowa and Nebraska, with the latter initially securing his commitment after he verbally agreed to attend following high school.[11] However, in a notorious episode common to the era's aggressive recruiting practices, Bradley University coaches intercepted him at Chicago's Meigs Field in 1958—while en route to Nebraska—and persuaded him to enroll at Bradley instead, an event later dubbed his "hijacking" to Peoria.[11][7] This maneuver, though ethically questionable by modern standards, aligned with lax regulations of the time and propelled Walker to a standout college career at Bradley.[7]College Career at Bradley University
Chet Walker played college basketball for the Bradley Braves from 1959 to 1962, establishing himself as one of the program's all-time greats. As a sophomore in the 1959–60 season, he averaged 21.8 points and 13.4 rebounds per game across 29 appearances, contributing to Bradley's National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship victory that year. [12][13] His performance earned him first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) honors. [12] During his junior campaign in 1960–61, Walker led the MVC in scoring with 25.2 points per game while averaging 12.6 rebounds over 26 games, securing consensus All-America first-team selection. [12] He repeated as first-team All-MVC. [12] In his senior year of 1961–62, Walker again topped the MVC scoring charts at 26.4 points per game and averaged 12.3 rebounds in 26 contests, repeating as a consensus All-American—the only player in Bradley history to achieve this distinction twice—and helping the Braves co-win the MVC regular-season title. [12][13] He earned first-team All-MVC honors for the third consecutive season. [12] Over his collegiate career, Walker amassed 1,975 points and 1,036 rebounds in 81 games, graduating as Bradley's all-time leader in both categories—a scoring mark that now ranks fourth in program history—and leading the Braves to a 69–14 record across his final three seasons, including two NIT appearances. [12][14] In recognition of his contributions, Bradley retired his number 31 jersey on March 4, 1976. [13]
NBA Playing Career
Draft and Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers Era (1962–1969)
Walker was selected by the Syracuse Nationals in the second round (fifth pick, 14th overall) of the 1962 NBA draft out of Bradley University.[1] In his rookie season of 1962–63, he appeared in 73 games, averaging 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 44.6% from the field.[3] His performance earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team, recognizing him among the league's top newcomers.[3] Prior to the 1963–64 season, the Nationals relocated to Philadelphia and rebranded as the 76ers after the franchise was sold on May 15, 1963, due to financial challenges in Syracuse.[15] Walker remained with the team and showed immediate improvement, boosting his scoring to 17.3 points per game and rebounds to a career-high 8.1 per game across 78 appearances.[3] Over the next several seasons, he solidified his role as a starting forward, consistently averaging between 17 and 20 points while contributing defensively; for instance, in 1966–67, he posted 19.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game en route to the 76ers' NBA championship victory, where the team won a league-record 68 regular-season games before defeating the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division finals and the San Francisco Warriors in the finals.[1] [3] Walker's tenure with the 76ers included three All-Star selections (1964, 1966, and 1967), highlighting his emergence as an efficient mid-range scorer known for his smooth jump shot and rebounding prowess.[6] By the 1968–69 season, his final year in Philadelphia, he averaged 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in 82 games, maintaining double-digit scoring throughout his seven seasons with the franchise (one in Syracuse).[1] The following summer, on May 5, 1969, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for forward Dave Budd and a third-round draft pick, ending his time with the organization.[1]| Season | Team | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962–63 | Syracuse Nationals | 73 | 26.0 | 12.3 | 7.2 | 1.4 | .446 |
| 1963–64 | Philadelphia 76ers | 78 | 31.6 | 17.3 | 8.1 | 2.3 | .467 |
| 1964–65 | Philadelphia 76ers | 73 | 31.1 | 17.2 | 7.3 | 2.1 | .482 |
| 1965–66 | Philadelphia 76ers | 80 | 33.7 | 19.1 | 7.7 | 2.5 | .512 |
| 1966–67 | Philadelphia 76ers | 79 | 33.0 | 19.0 | 8.1 | 1.8 | .475 |
| 1967–68 | Philadelphia 76ers | 80 | 36.0 | 20.4 | 7.7 | 2.3 | .489 |
| 1968–69 | Philadelphia 76ers | 82 | 37.6 | 18.0 | 7.5 | 2.2 | .487 |
Chicago Bulls Tenure (1969–1975)
In September 1969, the Philadelphia 76ers traded Chet Walker and Shaler Halimon to the Chicago Bulls for forwards Jim Washington and Dick Snyder ahead of the 1969–70 season.[3] [16] Walker, already a proven scorer from his time with the 76ers, assumed a starring role on a Bulls team featuring guards Jerry Sloan and Bob Weiss, providing consistent mid-range scoring and rebounding. Over his six seasons in Chicago, he maintained elite durability, appearing in 474 of 492 regular-season games while averaging 20.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.[1] [17] Walker's offensive efficiency complemented the Bulls' defensive-oriented playstyle, forming a dynamic frontcourt duo with Bob Love that propelled the team to playoff appearances in every season from 1970 to 1975. He earned four All-Star nods during this period (1970, 1971, 1973, 1974) and led the NBA in free-throw percentage in 1973 at .862 on 234 makes out of 271 attempts.[3] [6] [15] In the 1974–75 season, Walker became the 10th player in NBA history to reach 18,000 career points, underscoring his longevity and productivity at age 35.[18] Following the 1974–75 campaign, in which the Bulls advanced to the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Golden State Warriors, Walker retired amid reported tensions with management over contract issues.[19] [4] His tenure solidified the Bulls' emergence as a competitive franchise in the early 1970s, with Walker's smooth, fundamental style—earning him the nickname "The Jet"—contributing to 3,558 points in Chicago alone, ranking him among the team's historical scoring leaders.[20]Overall Career Statistics and Milestones
Chet Walker competed in the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons from 1962 to 1975, playing for the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls. Over 1,032 regular-season games, he accumulated 18,809 points, 6,882 rebounds, and 2,166 assists, averaging 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 46.9% from the field and 80.3% from the free-throw line.[1] In 105 playoff appearances, Walker averaged 17.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, contributing 1,886 points total.[1]| Statistic | Regular Season Per Game | Regular Season Totals | Playoff Per Game | Playoff Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games Played (G) | 1,032 | 1,032 | 105 | 105 |
| Minutes (MP) | 32.5 | 33,433 | 34.8 | 3,648 |
| Points (PTS) | 18.2 | 18,809 | 17.9 | 1,886 |
| Rebounds (TRB) | 6.7 | 6,882 | 6.8 | 719 |
| Assists (AST) | 2.1 | 2,166 | 2.0 | 212 |
| Field Goal % (FG%) | .469 | - | .460 | - |
| Free Throw % (FT%) | .803 | - | .803 | - |