AW News

["j.hironaka" <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Walker camping out with Jordan
by Steve Bulpett
Thursday, June 7, 2001
CHICAGO - The Celtics are in line to acquire a new player next season that 
will have a far greater impact than any of their draft picks.
Antoine Walker.
The club's co-captain has jumped into a daily regimen that includes weight 
training and conditioning, as well as pickup games with some guy named 
Michael Jordan.
The Celtics could ask for no better situation for Walker, who is now under 
the watchful eye of trainer Tim Grover, a so-called sports enhancement 
specialist who has worked personally with Jordan since 1989.
Grover recently opened a facility here that, with Jordan's help, has lured 
the area's top players.
``Antoine's decided to make the commitment and he's been very good about 
it,'' said Grover, taking in a session at the NBA's pre-draft camp. ``Once 
he starts really seeing results, it will absolutely draw him in even more.
``I'm sure the first thing that got people like Antoine here is that we 
have the best organized pickup basketball games they can find anywhere. And 
because it's a complete facility, they can do their weight training and 
conditioning and play their ball in one spot.
``I took Antoine on a tour of the place and he signed up right away and he 
hasn't missed a day in the two and a half weeks he's been with us.''
This isn't the first time Walker engaged in a physical conditioning program 
in his hometown, but other efforts have fallen off. However, working with 
the trainer who helped Jordan so much and getting to play against Michael 
is expected to keep Walker in the fold.
``We have everyone sign a contract. Antoine signed one,'' Grover said. ``It 
puts down in writing what we expect of him and what he can accomplish. 
There's no money involved in the contract; it just states what the player 
has to commit to. And there's no escape clause. We take this very seriously 
and we expect the athletes to do the same.
``To do this right, you have to make the commitment to it. It has to be 
part of your normal routine, like going to practice and going to games,'' 
Grover said. ``It has to get to the point where if you don't work out, you 
feel like you're missing something in your day.''
Grover already had knowledge of Walker's game and physical needs and has 
put him on a program designed to maximize his skills and energy.
``Antoine's coming up on his sixth year and he's played a lot of minutes,'' 
Grover said. ``I told him he already has a lot of mileage on his body and 
that if he wants to keep producing and producing well he needs to start 
making changes in his dietary habits and his training. He's not overweight 
necessarily. He just needs to relocate a few things and get a little stronger.
``He's starting to listen. He's starting to feel what he can really do. I'd 
say Antoine's been performing at about 75 to 80 percent of his capacity. 
When he gets his body to its full potential and adds that 20 to 25 percent, 
it's going to make him just a phenomenal player.''
Former Celtics coach Rick Pitino was on Walker to decide what type of 
player he wanted to be - Karl Malone or Scottie Pippen - and then fit his 
body to that style of game. But Grover said a choice isn't necessary.
``You can do a combination,'' he said. ``Antoine has some special abilities 
on the floor and the program he does has to play to that. He can take 
people down low and score on them, and he can go out to the perimeter and 
take guys off the dribble. There's no reason he can't do both well with one 
body.''
The fact Walker is spending time on weight training every day is a major 
move, a practice about which Jordan became religious. Walker has always 
been willing to play basketball all day during his offseason, but now he's 
getting a good mix. And that mix will continue - by rule.
``We don't allow guys to play in the games unless they've worked out 
first,'' said Grover. ``And they definitely don't want to miss playing in 
these games.''