‘Grace of God and a lot of Hard Work’: Laker’s Lonnie Walker IV Lifts Team Past GSW

Published: May 11, 2023

‘Grace of God and a lot of Hard Work’: Laker’s Lonnie Walker IV Lifts Team Past GSW

By Movieguide® Contributor

On May 8, Lonnie Walker stunned himself, his teammates and the crowd after putting up an incredible 15-points in just the 4th quarter.

This came after only having 14 minutes and 50 seconds in the first series against the Memphis Grizzlies and after sitting out in the first game against the Golden State Warriors.

After the game, Walker stated in an interview, “The greatest feeling you could ever imagine. As a kid, this is something I’ve been dreaming of doing. Not just being a part of the playoffs but impacting it.”

In his fifth year in the league, Walker hadn’t played very much, but that never stopped him from working as hard as he could.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself,” Walker said. “I know my value. I know what I’m capable of doing. By the grace of God and a lot of hard work and sacrifices and time in the gym, the fruition kind of came today.”

He also never failed to give glory to God. In a post-game interview with “Inside the NBA” Walker made sure to begin with, “God is good, first and foremost.”

“[At every single level I’ve encountered] a lot of adversities, if not a lesson that God was trying to teach me. And I think that’s the most important thing, is trying to better yourself every day. … There’s going to be hard times, and that’s just God’s ultimate test to make you learn something in order to get to your goal,” Walker expressed.

In an interview for his hometown newspaper, Walker said, “As long as I have God by my side, I always know it’s going to be OK. No matter what position I’m in, the end of the road is going to be a success.”

“Whether it was being injured at Miami or when we lost junior year in the (state high school) semifinals, I’m always going to be victorious. I know what it takes to get to where I want to be, I’ve just got to be patient and have faith and know that God has my back,” he added.

Walker made history for the Lakers by becoming the first player in over 25 years to come off the bench and score 15 points in the fourth quarter in a playoff game. The last player to do it was none other than Kobe Bryant and he did it exactly 26 years ago on May 8, 1997.