Lonnie Walker/Stu Jackson in Reading

Two legendary Reading High School basketball players were on the same stage for the first time on Monday. Lonnie Walker and Stu Jackson got together with former Reading coaches and players, as well as numerous fans, at the Miller Center for the Arts. The special event was presented by the Reading Education Foundation. I was fortunate to serve as the emcee. I asked Walker what the city of Reading has meant to him. He replied, “This city is my heart. I’ve been through it all. Learned a ton of lessons through it all. This is what made me, me. I take big pride on that. If it wasn’t for Reading, I wouldn’t be shaped like this. It took a village to build me up.” Walker gave credit to his parents and grandparents for keeping him away from trouble as a kid. The 6’4 shooting guard led the Red Knights to their first state championship in 2017. The three-time all-state selection averaged 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals as a senior. On Monday, Walker revealed that he played through a torn meniscus which he suffered in the state final. He finished with 22 points and 8 boards in a thrilling 64-60 victory over Pine-Richland. “Something about that crowd and everyone that was there; it gave me some sort of superpowers. I was hurting really bad,” he said. More than 9,500 fans were in attendance at the Giant Center in Hershey to see the Red Knights make history. Because of the adversity that he overcame and what was on the line, Walker told me that was the best game of his career. There were a lot to choose from. Walker has the most points in school history with 1,828. He poured in 35 points in the state semifinals that year versus Archbishop Ryan at Temple University. As a junior, Walker established a career high with 37 points in a 78-73 overtime win against Carlisle in the District 3 quarterfinals. Earlier that season, he piled up 32 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in a 103-51 rout of McCaskey at the Geigle Complex. The McDonald’s All-American selection spent one year at Miami. His relationship with head coach Jim Larranaga was a big factor in his decision to commit to the Hurricanes. Walker went to the Spurs with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 23-year-old spent the past four seasons with San Antonio. He averaged 12 points in 23 minutes per game this year. In late June, Walker agreed to a 1-year, $6.5 million contract with the Lakers. He marveled at the work ethic of 37-year-old LeBron James. We talked about who’s the greatest player of all-time. Walker sided with James, while Jackson went with Michael Jordan. “To me, mentally, maybe the greatest competitor of any sport that we’ve ever seen,” said Jackson. The former general manager of the Vancouver Grizzlies told a very memorable story of an encounter with Jordan and the Bulls during the 1995-‘96 season when Chicago won 72 games. Jordan was well known for his electrifying dunks. Walker and I discussed if he would ever compete in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Walker continues to give back to the community. He held a youth basketball camp at the Geigle this week. All of the proceeds from Monday’s event went to the Reading Education Foundation.