Boston Celtics
Team Report
posted
September 19,
1998
by tsn correspondent
PETER MAY
Boston Globe
When he looks back on
his life to write his
autobiography,
Antoine Walker may
well want to excise
the Summer of 1998.
He has been named as
a defendant in a
civil suit, lost some
public goodwill with
some ridiculous
coach-bashing and now
is being portrayed on
television.
less-than-supportive
father.
The latest damage
came on ABC's
"20/20." According to
a dicey release from
the network, the
mother of Walker's
four-year-old
daughter, Crystal, is
alleging she had to
live on welfare for a
brief time while
Walker was earning
seven figures from
the Celtics. The
network divulged
nothing more, but
Walker's agent and
lawyer both said the
woman's story was
inaccurate.
According to court
documents obtained by
the Boston Globe,
Walker has been
paying $2,500 a month
in child support
since July 1. Prior
to that, the figure
was $2,000. It was
Walker, not the
woman, who first went
to court to establish
paternity and child
support payment
guidelines.
Neither the woman,
Margaret Johnson, nor
her attorney returned
calls to the Globe.
Walker's agent,
Michael Higgins of
FAME Inc., said his
client has been fully
supportive of the
child and even
offered to buy
Johnson a house.
Walker declined to be
interviewed for the
"20/20" segment,
which deals with NBA
players who father
children out of
wedlock. Among the
others mentioned in
the release were
Vernon Maxwell and
Larry Bird.
Walker, Ron Mercer,
ex-Celtic Chauncey
Billups and Michael
Irvin, a friend of
Walkers, also were
named as defendants
in a federal civil
suit by a woman
identified as Jane
Doe. That was back in
May. That case is
proceeding through
the legal pipeline,
although attorneys
for the four
defendants have filed
motions to dismiss
the case. The
litigation was
impounded at the
request of both
parties, but it is
believed to concern
sexual assault.
Police investigated
the incident, but
brought no charges.
As if that wasn't
enough, Walker, who
the Celtics offered
in at least one trade
proposal prior to the
draft, was a no-show
at a pre-lockout
workout at the
Celtics' practice
facility. Coach Rick
Pitino, who never
criticizes his
players in public,
said he was
disappointed that
Walker didn't attend
because Walker is the
captain of the team.
Pitino also said
Walker might have
benefited from the
the workouts because a
shooting instructor
was present. A few
weeks later, Walker
shot back that
"veteran All-Stars"
like himself never
stoop to such things
and that Pitino's
remarks were uncalled
for. He also said if
the Celtics did not
sign him to a
contract extension
this season, he would
go elsewhere when his
three-year deal
expires in June.