PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -Former Providence All-American Jimmy Walker, who was a first-round NBA draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in 1967, has died. He was 63.
Providence announced Tuesday that Walker died of lung cancer on Monday in Kansas City, Mo.
Walker led the nation in scoring in 1967 as a senior, averaging more than 30 points a game. His three-year total of 2,045 points was the school record at Providence for 38 years until Ryan Gomes broke it in 2005.
Walker, a 6-foot-3 guard, played nine seasons in the NBA with Detroit, Houston and Kansas City. He averaged 16.7 points per game for his career, including a high of 21.3 in 1971-72.
He was the father of longtime NBA player and former University of Michigan star Jalen Rose, and at one point they held the NCAA Division I record for most career points scored by a father-son duo.
Walker was born in Virginia, but grew up and played high school basketball in the Boston area.
Add A Comment