There have been many cases in the NBA, where prominent players and talents failed to live up to their expectations. Usually, the reason behind these failures was either a terrible injury, or lack of determination and work ethic. The second one probably applies to Walter Bon.
Was Walter Bond a good basketball player? Playing 153 games in the NBA, we can conclude that Walter Bond was a below-average player, who failed to meet the expectations put on him. He played his last game in the NBA in 1995 and scored only 873 points.
Throughout his career, Bond did not establish his place in the NBA and played for many teams outside of the league as well. Let’s have a closer look at the player’s career and how his life unfolded.
Career in the NBA
Born on February 1, 1969 in Chicago, Walter Bond was a shooting guard that was a part of the University of Minnesota. In 1991 he was not drafted, however managed to play 3 seasons in the NBA.
When he first came to the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks signed him, playing during the 1992/1993 season. His career-high game came in 1992, in his second professional game, playing for the Dallas Mavericks. Bond scored 25 points, but his team lost the match. While it should have been a positive sign, his stats only deteriorated following the years. In 74 games for the Mavericks, he averaged 7.9 points, which is not a bad result for the first season.
As he did not become a regular starter for the Dallas Mavericks he moved to the Utah Jazz. During the 1993/1994 season in 56 games he averaged 3.1 points. He was a teammate of Karl Malone and John Stockton – the team that never won a championship title, losing against the Chicago Bulls in the Finals. In 1995, Bond signed 2 10-day contracts (5.3 points in 18 games) with the Utah Jazz one more time and never played in the NBA since then.
His third team was the Detroit Pistons, playing for them during the 1994/1995 season. In 5 games he scored only 10 points. It was already obvious that Bond was not “created” for the NBA, and decided to try his luck outside the league. He mainly played in Europe, in Italy.
Career Outside the NBA
When he moved from the NBA in Europe, he played for Cirio Avellino in 1998. It should be pointed out that his career in Italy was equally unsuccessful similar to the NBA and retired shortly after 1999. His last team was Bayer Giants Leverkusen. Other teams that Bond was a member of were: Gymnastikos Larissa and Yakama Sun Kings. He was a part of other basketball teams as well, but right now these teams do not exist anymore.
Comparison with Anthony Bennett
Even though there are a lot of differences between the first number of the 2013 NBA draft pick and Walter Bond, we should point out that Anthony Bennett also failed to live up to the expectations. He changed teams several times in the NBA and did not manage to establish himself. At some point, the 28-year-old basketball player signed a contract with the Puerto Rican team Cangrejeros de Santurce.
Bennett is one of the biggest busts in recent years in the NBA. As the number one draft pick, he never made it to the NBA. Anthony Bennett has tried to gain a foothold in the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.
In total in the NBA, he took part in 151 matches, gaining an average of 4.4 points and making 3.1 rebounds. Bennett also tried to play in the Euroleague but failed with Fenerbahce.
Of course, draft busts are not a rare occurrence in the NBA, and we also have other players that did not realize their potential fully. Walter Bond, unlike Anthony Bennett was undrafted, but considering the first several games in the NBA, there was a sense that he could have built a great career. Unfortunately, things did not work out for the player exactly as he would have wished.
Consistency is Key
According to Walter Bond consistency is the key to success. As he retired from basketball, Bond became a regular speaker and notes that without consistency greatness cannot be achieved. Great things are built on passion. He even brings a case of Michael Jordan. When the fans came to watch his matches, they were anticipating something special from the Chicago Bulls star.
Walter Bond also made himself known as the host of the Food Network series Giving You The Business. In addition, Bond is a top accountability speaker, delivering entertaining and dynamic messages to companies worldwide. His stories are always rich and full of humour, authenticity, and passion. Even though he did not become a star player in the NBA, Bond helped a lot of people make a rapid rise in their personal careers.
He has his own website, where Bond published different tutorials and coaching material. He is still respected in the NBA and constantly works on himself to deliver more quality content to the customers.
Right now a lot of people know Walter Bond, not as a former NBA player, but as a motivational speaker and a person who helps others achieve their dreams. Had it not been for injuries and lack of other skills, he would have been more productive in basketball.