What drives Blackwater’s import

Blackwater import Henry Walker never thought he’d make a living out of basketball when he was a kid.

“I was good in football and had no interest in basketball growing up,” said Walker, now playing in his fifth PBA conference. “I had a hard life as a boy. My mom worked at Wendy’s and my dad was in and out of jail. My uncle was a pimp. I lost relatives and friends to gun violence. I lived in a small house with about seven or eight children and three to four adults. You can imagine how difficult that was. But I fought every day, I got used to adversity. I had a vision to be confident, I prayed to God. Then, one day, my buddy O. J. Mayo came around to invite me to play hoops. I was only nine at that time. Now, look at where I am. I’ve played with some of the biggest stars in the game. I’ve learned from some of the greatest coaches. I’ve played five years in the NBA. And I’m enjoying what I love to do, playing to the best of my ability and living my dream in the Philippines.”

Walker, 30, made his PBA debut with Alaska in the 2014 Governors Cup. That was the conference where Alex Compton took over the helm from Luigi Trillo midway the tournament. Walker made good use of his experience in the PBA to return to the NBA. “I left the PBA in great form,” he recalled. “It’s more physical in the PBA than in the NBA. In the NBA, it’s a different kind of physicality. It’s more an endurance thing, playing an 82-game regular season then the playoffs. After playing for the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, I went to the PBA then back to the NBA with Miami. I didn’t know coach Spo (Erik Spoelstra) is half-Filipino and I don’t think he knew I came from the PBA. I learned a lot from coach Spo who’s a great coach and motivator. With the Heat, I played with Dwyane Wade who’s an incredibly gifted athlete with God-given ability. He’s a true leader. He has status. He’s a guy you want to go to battle with because what he wants you to do, he’s done. You give it your all because you know he gives it his all. Another awesome teammate was Chris Bosh. Not too many fans realize how much he sacrificed to fit in with LeBron (James) when they played together at Miami. Bosh is an intellectual who had a tremendous effect on the game. But the NBA player whom I really learned a lot from was Eddie House, my teammate in Boston and New York. He was all heart. He taught me how to shoot with great accuracy from the correct hand placement to trajectory.”

Walker said he played alongside stars like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Carmelo Anthony and A’mare Stoudemire. “The NBA is full of egos but that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” he said.  “That’s because of the players’ bravado, they play with a lot of confidence. It’s what makes them great. I’m blessed to have played with some of the best in the game.”

From Miami, Walker eventually found himself at NLEX and now, Blackwater. “I’m more mature,” he said. “I’m grateful to the Blackwater organization, to Boss Dio (team owner Dioceldo Sy) and to Boss Silliman (Blackwater PBA governor Silliman Sy) for giving me the chance to continue playing in the PBA. I love living in the Philippines and I could live here permanently as a naturalized citizen. Right now, my wife Yesenia is with me and my seven-year-old daughter Milan in Manila. Our one-year-old daughter Isabelle is back in the US. Boss Dio also gave me a chance to join the coaching staff when Blackwater played in the offseason in Macau. I’m hoping that when I’m done playing, I can do coaching and player development. It’s what I like to do, to bring out the best in people. I’m a history buff and I like to learn from history. That’s why I enjoy interacting with coach Bong (Ramos). He’s a great teacher. I ask him to explain things because I want to understand everything we do on the court. It’s how I am.”

Walker said what’s driving him is the goal to bring a championship to Blackwater. “I’m tired of people thinking we’re a pushover team,” he said. “We were a couple of possessions away from making it to the semifinals last year and I cried when we lost. I don’t care for the partying after the winning. I just want to feel the confetti.  I want to repay Boss Dio for bringing me back. I want to be known as one of the greatest PBA imports ever. I’ve watched tapes of Billy Ray Bates and Bobby Parks playing in the PBA. I want to be remembered in the PBA like them. I’ve played in leagues in Croatia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Turkey and Uruguay. But the PBA’s the best overseas league I’ve played in. From when I first played in 2014, the players have gotten better, the quality of play is a lot higher. The PBA is extremely competitive and you’ve got to be ready to play every game. What makes the PBA special is every team is about family.”