“I started when I was like four,” born on September 4, 2004, JaKobe Walter paved his way into sports at an early age. But he found his love in football. For those unaware, Walter was a standout football player in his school days. At that time, there was a lack of players on his team which offered him an opportunity to play multiple positions.

He played wide receiver, safety, running back, and even quarterback for his team. “I really liked football the most at first,” he told Prospective Insights. But when he entered his freshman year, he opted to move forward with basketball to eventually find himself as a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class. Why did he choose basketball when he ‘really liked football’?

JaKobe Walter’s following footsteps

It was mainly to continue a legacy started by his father. Ja’Kobe Walter’s father, Eddie Walter, was a basketball player at Birmingham-Southern in 1994. During his playing days, he was referred to as “The Web” for his impressive ability to steal. Notably, he topped the All-Time Steal Leader chart with an impressive 194 steals until 2013 despite retiring.

Despite having an illustrious basketball career, Eddie never pressured his son to pursue a career he didn’t choose. Instead, he motivated him to pursue whatever he wanted. “I was always in the gym with him when he was just in men’s leagues or whatever.” However, Ja’Kobe inherited basketball skills from his father, and by the time he entered freshman year, he knew, he “could take off in basketball.”

But Eddie’s role was more than just an influence. When the 19-year-old first fell in love with basketball, it was Eddie who amplified it. “he was the one that just started training me, trying to get me right and then from there, it all just took off.” As he progressed on the court, Eddie used his experience to instill a “dog mentality” in his son so that he could understand the importance of hustle and hard work.

And this turned out to be quite beneficial for JaKobe; by the time he left McKinney High School, his reputation was already solidified as a top basketball prospect. As he entered college, he caught the attention of various top collegiate programs including Alabama, Texas, Auburn, and Oklahoma State. But it wasn’t only Eddie Walter impacting his basketball career.

Support from home “always been there” for Ja’Kobe

While not much is known about Sabrina Waler, he has been a primary source of support for JaKobe. “My mom, she didn’t really play basketball, but she’s always been there for me, encouraging me since I started.” Over the years, Sabrina nurtured JaKobe to unfold himself on the court.

With Sabrina and Eddie’s unmatched motivation, JaKobe, 19, will be entering the NBA Draft this season. As of now, he plays with Baylor, helping them to attain a No. 3 seed with a 24-11 record in the NCAA Tournament. Not only this, but he also features a Big 12 Freshman of the Year accolade and averages 14.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Though just 19 years old, Walter reached a per game average in double figures up to 26 times as a part of collegiate basketball. The performance initially declared Walter as the lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft and was projected as No.8 by the Bleacher Report before 2023-24. More recently, reports suggest, Walter is predicted to go to the Orlando Magic as an 18th pick. Will it pan out as stated? Stay tuned to find out!