WEEI Interview w/ Walker

[Theresa Lee <tjoyce@mit.edu>]

I did hear the interview and Antoine said roughly the following:

When the trade rumors really started to heat up, he stopped having contact
with Pitino. He was hurt by the talk and didn't want to follow the
organization's off-season plan for him. He felt unwanted and lost his
motivation for working out and following a plan of a team that didn't want
him. 

A human reaction, yes, but not very smart either to admit or do if you are
a star athlete. One would hope you have your own motivation and that
outside factors would not deter you....or they would spur you on to prove
others wrong. 

He also said a lot about Pitino like:

"pressure makes people do things they regret" when referring to Pitino's
constant criticism of his weight (to the campers) and pointing to Walker as
the problem.

I actually had some sympathy for Antoine during the interview. He and
Pitino seem to have some of the same character flaws (lack of self-honesty
and humility) that cause them to clash. I would love to know what Antoine
could be in another situation (playing with veterans on a winning team for
another coach...be that in Boston or elsewhere). It feels like lost
potential. Same for Pitino. 

Theresa