If you were wondering how Antoine Walker looked last night in his D-League debut, I wrote far too many words on the subject (read by clicking here).

Don’t worry; not everything Walker did was as bad as this missed free throw. He finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, in 26 minutes. At times, he looked like the best player on the court (by far), and at times he looked overweight and rusty.

Before I continue treating Antoine Walker like ESPN treats Brett Favre, just look at the Celtics’ headbands. They damn near cover their eyeballs. Then, if you really want to puke, check out Mark Blount.

Okay, now back to the task at hand — Brett Favre’ing Antoine Walker’s return to competitive basketball.

Why do I still write about Antoine Walker? Why don’t I hate him for, or at least be more disturbed by, his miserable shot selection or occasional unwillingness to rebound? When it comes to Antoine Walker, why do I still care?

The first reason is simple. Walker’s actions were often misguided, but his intentions were pure. This was a player who backed his teammates, who wanted desperately to win, who showed passion every time he stepped onto a basketball court. The Walker Wiggle wasn’t just an immature player celebrating his greatness for an entire crowd to see — it was the pure reaction of a player wholly engrossed in a game’s joy.

Walker never cared enough about certain things he should have, such as staying in shape or taking two-pointers. But though he didn’t go about improving the right way, basketball never seemed like a chore to him, or a job. As soon as he touched a Spalding ball, Walker became like a kid on a playground. Basketball was always a game to him, always something that brought him joy in a way few things could.

I never had a conversation with Walker; he never explained his love of basketball to me. I gathered all these opinions from watching him play, from observing all the nights he brought his shimmying excitement to the court. And yes, those were often the same nights he chucked far too many bad shots. Nobody ever said watching ‘Toine play basketball was a smooth ride. There were certainly times I wondered, “Why, Antoine? Why???” But even through all the frustration, seeing Antoine Walker play could also be a nice reminder that, to some NBA players, the game was more than just a paycheck.

I could now discuss why using “Antoine Walker” and “paycheck” in the same sentence brings up an interesting conversation, but, instead, on to my second reason for loving Walker.

When I was a young student, I was once forced to read a poem about age. I forget the name of the poem, and I forget the poet’s exact words, but I remember the premise. When I become 77 years old, I won’t just be shaped by my latest memories. I am not just a 77 year-old. Part of me, part of my memories, will always be five years old, riding a bicycle for the first time. Part of me will always be 14, stepping through my high school halls. Part of me will always be 22, graduating from college with a tight group of friends.

And part of me will forever be 11 years old, overlooking Antoine Walker’s obvious flaws because of his love for the game, his desire to win. No matter how many times Walker screwed up, he always meant well. For 11 year-old me, that was good enough.

I will now discuss Antoine Walker, again, for the ten millionth time.

You’re probably annoyed with my Antoine obsession, but Employee Number Eight was one of my heroes growing up. No, seriously. He was. I actually used the Walker Wiggle in 5th grade CYO basketball games. Fortunately, I didn’t also fall in love with launching miserable three-pointers.

‘Toine makes his D-League debut tonight, which is odd mostly because of his swift fall from grace. Only 34, Walker is at an age when most NBA All-Stars, with eroding but still-passable skills, remain in the NBA.  Instead, Walker (if I’m not mistaken) will become the first former All-Star to play in the D-League. He’s doing it because he yearns to return to the NBA — maybe because he loves and misses the game, maybe because he desperately needs a fat paycheck, and probably for a mixture of both those reasons.

The fall from NBA champion to laughingstock took only a couple years, but that’s not what I’m here to discuss. Rather, I want to harp on something far more positive. Whatever the reason for this comeback happens to be, ‘Toine’s going about it the right way.

He spent the summer working out with college coach Rick Pitino. He took a job in the D-League, where NBA scouts will be watching, rather than overseas, where they might not. He knows this comeback isn’t going to be easy, and he knows NBA teams aren’t going to come calling after a week or two. (NBA Fanhouse)

“I’m here to play. I came with five or six bags, so I’m here to play,” Walker said. “I don’t put any sort of expectations on me. I think if I can come out and play and help the team win, I think people will see what I’m worth. I know it’s going to be hard and I know it’s not going to happen overnight so I don’t want to put that type of pressure on myself. I want to come play basketball and let my play speak for itself.”

Pride? There’s no room for any. If he intends to return to the NBA, which he does, Walker can’t let himself worry about shame. He can’t worry that he has intentionally chosen to put himself through the same long bus rides, meager food spreads, and generally poor accomodationswith which the New Jersey Nets punished Terrence Williams. Antoine Walker isn’t an NBA All-Star anymore. He isn’t even an NBA player. Rather, he’s like all his Idaho Stampede teammates — just trying to impress the right person, just trying to do whatever it takes to land an NBA job.

Walker seems to understand how he’ll impress NBA GMs: by helping his team win. GMs don’t want to see Walker firing three-pointers at will, or trying to invent the four-pointer, or even scoring 25 points per game. They want to see how he’ll fit on an NBA roster.

Walker was asked what wisdom he can impart on his teammates, and he responded in part, “One thing I learned in the NBA is that if you win, everybody reaps the rewards of winning so that’s one thing that I can tell the guys: ‘Let’s win every night and we’ll all reap the benefits of it with opportunities outside of the D-League because people like winners.’

“I think that’s one thing I can share,” Walker told Ridiculous Upside.

Play to win. That’s all Walker has to do. Prove he can fit in on the next level, rather than dominate a lower level. Do that, and ‘Toine might get his shot at another NBA contract after all.

Even if he doesn’t, he can be proud about his comeback attempt. He’s approaching it the right way.

*****

P.S. — If you want current Celtics news rather than another Antoine chat, a Turkish GM claims Shaq is headed to Turkey… next year!

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Peter May, ESPN Boston – “‘When you look back to last year, if we had won a couple more, maybe we’d have had the home court for Game 7,’ Pierce continued. ‘The mindset this year has been, hey, we want to win as many games, beat the teams we’re supposed to beat, and get into a dogfight with the other teams that are great out there.’ So far, after 20 games, you’d have to say, mission accomplished, save for the blips in Cleveland and Toronto. OK, losing at home to an Oklahoma City team without Kevin Durant qualifies and, while we’re at it, blowing the game in Dallas does as well. Come to think of it, they should be 20-0. Shaq is right. They really haven’t been beaten yet.”

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com – “Now, in the twilight — both players are working on what most assume are their final contracts, lapsing after 2011-12 — Garnett and O’Neal have meshed well enough that you start to wonder what it might have been like had they teamed up sooner. … ‘We’d either have eight,’ O’Neal said, meaning championship rings, ‘or we’d have had problems. In my opinion, I don’t think it would work.’ … For Garnett, it was something deeper, more desperate. He had arrived in the NBA as a teenager in 1995, by which time O’Neal already had been to The Finals once and established himself as a staggering force of nature, his impact apparent in the stats, in the standings and on the Richter scale. And after Garnett’s rookie season with the Timberwolves, O’Neal headed west from Orlando to Los Angeles. Soon, all roads headed through Shaq. Or ended there, like Wile E. Coyote pancaking on a painted tunnel. ‘First off, Shaq was winning rings,’ Garnett said the other night. ‘You chase the guys who are winning it. And Shaq was the most dominant big man of my era. I was chasing him. To get the respect. The value in this is, you dethrone the king. I looked at it like, ‘Diesel’s winning rings. You’ve got to dethrone him.’ I really thought, with enough personnel, that I really could do that. I don’t know if that was me being naïve or me just believing in my craft and my team. That’s what it is, that’s how I went at it.’”

Scott Schroeder, NBA Fanhouse – “‘I’ve been out of the game for the last year and a half and it’s been very difficult,’ said Walker. ‘To get an opportunity to play is great. Having an opportunity to get back into the NBA is one thing, but this is also giving me an opportunity to do what I love every day again and playing basketball so I’m just thankful for the opportunity. I’ll try and help get the team turned around and get back to where it needs to be — a competitive playoff team.’ Walker, 34, last played in the NBA during the 2007-08 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, 12 years after being selected by the Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. The veteran forward signed with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2008-09 season but never entered a game during the regular season, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. After nearly two years out of basketball, however, Walker decided to rededicate himself. I had some personal problems going on and a lot of negativity, so I took a little time to gather myself and figure out what I want to do in life,’ Walker said, perhaps in reference to the various financial problems plaguing him the last couple of years. ‘Obviously I want to continue to play basketball. I think I’m still very young, being 34, and I think I can still play for a couple more years. I just want to continue to live out my dream. My dream was to one day play in the NBA and be successful and I think I left the game at the wrong time. I want to leave the game on my own merits. When you leave the game for a year and a half, doors close fast on you, so I want to reopen those doors and hopefully this is the way to do it.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Paul Pierce is used to having his hands full defensively. But he’ll be the first to tell you that Denver’s Carmelo Anthony challenges him in ways few players do. For Pierce, dealing with Melo (6-foot-8, 230) is like dealing with a bigger, stronger version of himself. ‘I put him in the same class of guys who put me in the hot tub after the game — [the Lakers'] Ron Artest and [Miami's] LeBron James,’ said the Celtics’ captain. ‘He’s right there in that class.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Pierce knows how valuable Rondo is on the floor. ‘When Rondo’s not out there, the dynamics of the team change because I’m a guy who gets a lot of stuff off fast-breaks, off of cuts, you know, find and be wide open,’ said Pierce. ‘Then you insert maybe Nate or Marquis [Daniels] and then maybe it’s a different way that I approach the game. I may have the ball in my hands a little bit more. But we’ve played a few games now without Rondo and we’ll make the necessary adjustments. There’s certain plays that we’re comfortable running with Rondo, just because he’s been in the system, and they work great for us and not so well maybe with Nate, but he’s only been in the system for a year and some change. They definitely have two different packages when each of them is on the court, and we’ll see how it all works out, but with either one we feel like they give us something different, being that Nate is more of a shooter and scorer; Rondo, he’s more dynamic with his passing. But if we have neither one of them, then maybe I’ll take over some point guard duties, or it’s time for someone like Avery Bradley to step up, or maybe Marquis.’ But just how pronounced is the difference in Pierce’s offensive production when Rondo is on the court? Consider this: With Rondo this season, Pierce is averaging 28.3 points per 48 minutes, while shooting 55.1 percent overall from the floor, including 51 percent from beyond the 3-point stripe. When Rondo is off the court, Pierce is averaging 19.6 points per 48 minutes, while shooting 39.7 percent, including a mere 6.7 percent from 3-point land.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Although Robinson has done a solid job with the starters, it’s clear there are certain things that the C’s simply do not do when he’s in the lineup instead of Rondo. ‘We lose a lot of the second, third option stuff that Rondo can run, and also the stuff that we hadn’t put in from last year, when we have the right group, Rondo can run that,’ Rivers said. ‘You lose that.’ Rivers added, ‘and on the defensive end, you lose Rondo’s ability to disrupt plays.’ However, Rivers points out that there are definite positives to having Robinson in the starting lineup as well. ‘Obviously with Nate you get spacing,’ Rivers said. ‘You get a better shooter.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Rivers spoke about the passing of his former Marquette coach, Hank Raymonds, whom he credits for helping him become a standout NBA player. Rivers was close with the coach, who died of cancer Monday at 86. Raymonds succeeded the legendary Al McGuire and was coach at Marquette from 1977-83. ‘He was very important for me,’ said Rivers. ‘I flew back probably three or four times this summer just to see him. Honestly, I would not be here without him, in a lot of ways. He saved me as a person. He’s one of those coaches who cared far more about the kid than actually even the program. There’s very few college coaches like that anymore. I wish there was a lot more.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “Allen was hugely amused when Perkins and Rondo challenged him to a free throw shooting duel. ‘I don’t know what he was doing,’ he said of Perkins. ‘He came over and challenged me. What was he thinking? You guys have to ask him the next time. But at least they considered me the (standard).’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

Antoine Walker is close to signing a D-League contract, according to NBA Fanhouse. He could sign the contract as soon as today, and Fanhouse’s Scott Schroeder believes Walker’s willingness to play in the D-League indicates he is more serious than ever about an NBA return.

So what am I supposed to think about this?

Should I be happy Walker’s getting another chance at playing basketball in the United States? Sad about the former Celtic’s fall from grace? Depressed his comeback isn’t on his own terms — that he probably needs an NBA deal more than he wants one? Excited that I might be able to see him play again, when he plays against (or maybe even for) the Springfield Armor (near my hometown)? Ecstatic that the Walker Wiggle could soon be coming to an arena near me? Joyous that Walker has been getting in good shape and finally seems serious about a comeback, finally seems serious about basketball?

The truth is, it’s complicated. On one hand, seeing Walker play in the D-League seems distasteful. I went to a game the other day (the Springfield Armor vs. the Maine Red Claws) and there were approximately twelve people in the stands. The basketball was mediocre at best, most players clearly belong nowhere near an NBA stadium, and the big men were almost all fat (on second thought, maybe Walker’s a perfect fit). In all seriousness, I never would have envisioned Antoine Walker playing in the minor leagues. He was an NBA All-Star! Employee Number Eight! One of my idols growing up.

And now it’s come to this, Walker begging his way onto a D-League squad with a pipe dream of perhaps, maybe, hopefully making an NBA roster again at some point in the near future. He has developed financial problems, and legal problems stemming from said financial problems. A man who made more than $100 million in his career is now struggling to make ends meet. He’s stooping to the D-League, where I recently watched Tiny Gallon’s “epic” post battle with somebody named Kyle Cuffe, who had a very similar build to Eminem’s big black friend in 8 Mile — and probably even less athleticism. The Armor’s backup big man is a guy by the name of Mike Williams. If not seven feet tall, Williams would be a perfect ringer for the placekicker in The Replacements.

And now Antoine Walker’s likely joining these folks in the D-League? When Walker helped lead the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals, I never suspected his career (and life, really) would one day come tumbling apart like a ball of yarn bowled down the hallway. I never suspected there would be a day he’d have to beg NBA teams to offer him a training camp invite, and — when begging didn’t work — that he’d be forced to use the D-League as a proving ground of sorts.

On the other hand, maybe this is Walker’s ticket to getting his life back. I don’t know the full extent of Employee Number Eight’s financial problems, but I suspect an NBA contract — likely the veteran’s minimum of $1.35 million — would be a nice start to fixing them. If Walker has worked himself into game shape, as Marc Stein reported he had begun to over the summer, he still has all the skills to be called up to the NBA. And if Walker does earn an NBA contract, which is clearly his goal, I assume he will be smarter with his money this time around. One more NBA contract, at this point, could change Walker’s entire life. I suppose I should be happy about that prospect.

But I can’t stop thinking about when I was a little kid, playing 5th-6th grade CYO basketball. Whenever my best friend or I hit a clutch shot, we’d break out in our own rhythm-less rendition of the Walker Wiggle. We’d scream, pound our chests and move our shoulders up and down as if listening to music. And if you didn’t appreciate our showmanship, learned partially from watching Antoine Walker, you should have at least respected our passion, also learned partially from watching Antoine Walker.

Back when I was twelve and ‘Toine was my idol, I never would have believed ‘Toine would one day be broke, fighting for one more substantial paycheck. But if twelve-year old me had known how ‘Toine’s financial stability would crumble, I imagine he would wish ‘Toine the best. And right now, wishing the best for ‘Toine probably means hoping he excels in the D-League.

Even if none of us ever thought it would come to this.