Kemba Walker made his return to Charlotte on Thursday as the Celtics faced the Hornets at Spectrum Center.
The three-time NBA All-Star, who played his first eight seasons with the Hornets before joining Boston last July in a sign-and-trade, received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Charlotte fans show their respect for Kemba Walker ✊ pic.twitter.com/5QlGLjyWP3
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 8, 2019
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The Hornets also played a tribute video ahead of the game.
#BuzzCity will always have love for @KembaWalker . ✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/sEVk71iFQP
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) November 8, 2019
Charlotte’s all-time leading scorer was emotional as he watched the video in the arena.
. @KembaWalker enjoyed every second of his pregame homecoming tribute. Great job by the @Hornets . pic.twitter.com/YJzHuBjenp
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) November 8, 2019
A few hours before Thursday's game, ESPN's Tim Bontemps asked Walker about the kind of reception he expected to receive from the Charlotte crowd.
"It's going to be great," Walker said. "It's going to be a great feeling, and like I said, I'm looking forward to it. I've done plenty of good things here. ... I've always interacted with the fans, I've always signed autographs, I've always taken pictures and I was always nice to everybody. So I don't think there will be no negative reactions."