'I live for this type of stuff' – Antoine Walker's response when he was compared to Len Bias after the 1996 NBA Draft

In 1986, the luck of the Irish seemed to be shining brightly on the Boston Celtics. They had just finished the 1985-1986 season with yet another crown and were looking to add more talent to their already stacked roster. With the second overall pick in the draft, they selected one of the most talented players of that draft class, 6'8" forward Len Bias of the Maryland Terrapins.

Suddenly, the Celtics looked poised to extend their dominance of the NBA as the ACC Player of the Year would have joined Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on a loaded team that would have overwhelmed the league for years to come. However, this dream scenario quickly turned into a nightmare when Bias tragically passed away a few days after being drafted due to a cocaine overdose.

Fast forward ten years later, another talented forward was drafted sixth overall by the Celtics in the 1996 NBA Draft. His name was Antoine Walker, and he, too, drew comparisons to Len due to his size, athleticism, and skillset on the court. But despite the tremendous pressure to live up to the expectations of being the highest-drafted player since Len, 'Toine wasn't bothered the least bit.

Relished the chance to be in the NBA

Fresh off winning the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship with the Kentucky Wildcats, the 6'9" forward had fans in Bean Town excited. After all, 'Toine had a unique skill set: the handles of a guard, the quick feet of a small forward, and the strength of a power forward. He could shoot from deep, drive to the basket, and finish with authority at the rim.

However, the pressure of elevating the Celtics, a historic and storied franchise, could prove too heavy a burden for young players, especially with the shadow of Bias' tragedy still hanging around. But not for the Chicago native. 

"Naw, I don't feel the shadow of Len Bias. I can't. This is a once-in-a-lifetime dream to get to play in the NBA, play against the greatest. Against Michael Jordan," Walker said in an interview with renowned writer Scoop Jackson.

Despite all the noise surrounding his arrival in Boston and the lofty expectations that came with it, Antoine was determined to make the most of his chance to play against the best hoopers in the most popular league in the world.

"I know I'm the highest draft pick of the Celtics since Len, but I have to overlook that situation and look at the positive. This is my one chance, man. This is what you dream about when you're a kid," 'Toine asserted.

Ready for the pressure

Pressure can be either a gift or a curse. On the one hand, it can motivate an individual to perform at their best and rise to the occasion, while it can also be overwhelming and cause a person to crumble under the weight of expectations.

For Walker, feeling the pressure was a good thing as it meant people believed in him enough to rely on him to push the franchise out of the darkness and back into the light. At that time, Boston had gone through three straight losing seasons and finished with a 33-49 record the season before drafting Antoine.

"I live for this type of stuff. I call this good pressure. To be successful, people need to expect that. And if you are not successful, everybody's going to say, 'Well, we knew he wasn't no good,'" "Employee Number Eight" shared.

Things got worse before they got better for Walker and the Celtics, as they endured five more losing campaigns before breaking through during the 2001-2002 season. With Walker and Paul Pierce blossoming into All-Stars, the Celtics made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they faltered against the Jason Kidd-led New Jersey Nets.