Chester Walker (February 22, 1940 – June 8, 2024) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and was selected in 2012 to become a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star. He played 13 seasons in the NBA, seven with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he helped lead the 76ers to an NBA championship in 1967, on a team that has been considered among the best in NBA history. He played his last six seasons for the Chicago Bulls from 1969 to 1975, helping the team reach the playoffs every season he played for Chicago; eventually becoming an inaugural member of the Bulls' Ring of Honor. Walker's teams made the playoffs every season of his career, and he never missed a playoff game; and never missed more than six games during any regular season of his NBA career (playing in over 1,000 games).
Walker played college basketball for the Bradley Braves, twice earning first-team consensus All-American honors, after being named a second-team All-American as a sophomore. Walker was famously "hijacked" by disc jockey Al Benson to attend Bradley, keeping him from attending the University of Nebraska instead. Walker played on the Bradley team that won the 1960 National Invitation Tournament. He became known as "Chet the Jet" at Bradley. Walker also won an Emmy award as a television producer.
Walker was born in Bethlehem, Mississippi on February 22, 1940, the youngest of John and Regina Walker's ten children, four of whom died before age 10. He lived and worked on the family's small cotton farm, until his mother moved with her youngest children to Benton Harbor, MIchigan after the death of Walker's sister and to escape his abusive father.
Walker played high school basketball for the Benton Harbor High School boys basketball team, under coach Don Farnum. Walker was selected All-State twice in basketball. As a senior, his team was runner up for the 1958 Class A Michigan high school championship, losing to Detroit's Austin Catholic Preparatory School which was led by future fellow NBA Hall of Fame player Dave DeBusschere.
In September of 1965, Benton Harbor held a Chet Walker Day, with an appreciation from Governor George Romney read that day.
Walker earned a scholarship to Bradley University, where he was a two-time consensus All-America in 1961 and 1962. However, prior to attending Bradley in Peoria, Illinois, he and his mother had agreed Walker would attend the University of Nebraska. In one version of events, disc jockey Al Benson went to Walker's home and agreed to take Walker to the airport in Chicago to head to Nebraska. Instead, Benson brought Walker to Bradley's head coach and athletic director, who flew Walker to Peoria where Walker committed to attending Bradley.
During his three-year career at Bradley, playing in the Missouri Valley Conference, Walker averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. Walker's speed and agility on the court earned him the nickname "Chet the Jet" (a name that stayed with him through his NBA career). As a sophomore (1959–60), Walker led the team in both scoring (21.8 points per game) and rebounding (13.4 rebounds per game); for a Bradley team that had a 27–2 record. Walker finished in the top-3 Missouri Valley Conference players in total points, points per game, total rebounds, rebounds per game, and made free throws.
The Associated Press (AP) named Walker a second-team All American as a sophomore. He was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference in 1960. The AP ranked Bradley fourth nationally after the 1959–60 season. Bradley finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference to the No. 1 ranked University of Cincinnati, led by Oscar Robertson, which went on to play in the 1960 NCAA basketball tournament. Bradley was the only conference team to defeat Cincinnati that season. Bradley went to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1960, winning the NIT championship game over the Providence Friars, 88–72.
Walker scored 27 points in the preceding 1960 NIT tournament victory over St. Bonaventure, but had been severely nauseous during the game, and had to come in and out of the game. There was some concern at the time that he had been given a glass of orange juice before the game that may have been tampered with, which was reported to the police (who found no foreign substance in the juice after later testing). Walker was still ill for the championship game against Providence, and played less than 19 minutes in the game, scoring only nine points; but seven of those points coming during a decisive time late in the game.
As a junior (1960–61), Walker averaged 25.2 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. Walker led Missouri Valley Conference teams in scoring and was second in rebounds per game. Bradley went 21–5 and ended the season ranked No. 6 by the Associated Press. Bradley again finished second to Cincinnati in the Missouri Valley Conference, and so did not go to the NCAA tournament. Bradley declined an invitation to the 1961 NIT. Walker was an AP and United Press International (UPI) first-team All-American in 1961, and was once again first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference.
As a senior (1961–62), Walker averaged 26.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, once more leading Missouri Valley Conference teams in scoring, and finishing second to Cincinnati's Paul Hogue in rebounding (12.4 to 12.3 rebounds per game). Bradley shared the Missouri Valley Conference title in 1962 with Cincinnati; but once again it was Cincinnati that went to the NCAA tournament, after defeating Bradley in a mid-March 1962 playoff game for the Missouri Valley Conference title. Bradley participated in the 1962 NIT tournament, losing in the first round to Dusquesne, 88–85. Walker scored 36 points in that game, including 22 of Bradley's last 29 points. The Associated Press named Walker a first-team All-American in 1962, as did United Press International and the Newspaper Enterprise Association. He was again first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference for the third consecutive season.
Walker is the only Bradley Braves player to be selected a two-time All-America player, and his No. 31 jersey was retired by the school in 1976. He graduated from Bradley in 1962 as the school's all-time leading scorer, and is still its fourth all-time scorer (as of June 2024). He holds Bradley's record for double-doubles, with 54 (through the 2024–25 season); and scored over 30 points in a game 15 times, over 40 points six times, and over 50 points one time while playing for Bradley.
Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1962–1969)
Walker was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in the 1962 NBA draft, and was named to the NBA's first All-Rookie Team in 1963. He followed the team to Philadelphia after his rookie season. In his second year, playing small forward, Walker averaged a double-double (17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game) in 36.5 minutes per game, and was selected to play in the 1964 All-Star Game; however the Philadelphia 76ers went 34–46 that season.
The following season (1964–65), center Wilt Chamberlain and strong forward Lucious Jackson joined the 76ers. Walker's minutes fell to 27.7 per game, the fewest he would ever have as a 76er outside of his rookie season; and roughly the same as 76ers' small forward Dave Gambee's 25 minutes per game. Walker averaged 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game that season.
The 76ers were 40–40, and reach the 1965 NBA playoffs. They defeated the Cincinnati Royals in the 1965 Eastern Division semifinals, three games to one. Walker started all four games, averaging 20.5 points and eight rebounds per game. The 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics in the 1965 Eastern Division finals in seven games; losing Game 7 by one point. Walker started all seven games, playing nearly 42 minutes per game, averaging 20.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He had 31 points and 11 rebounds in the 76ers Game 4 victory.
Over the next four seasons with the 76ers (1965–66 to 1968–69), Walker averaged between 32 and 33.6 minutes per game, 15.3 and 19.3 points per game, and 7.4 to 8.1 rebounds per game. He was selected to play in the 1966 NBA All-Star Game as a starter, and the 1967 NBA All-Star Game (scoring 15 points). In 1966, the 76ers lost again in the Eastern Division finals to the Celtics, four games to one; with Walker averaging 36.2 minutes, 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and three assists per game.