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Earlier this month, Marissa—an R&B singer and jewelry designer—married Kemba Walker, a four-time NBA All-Star and current coach for the Charlotte Hornets, at the Conservatory at Blackberry Ridge in Trenton, Georgia. Getting married in Georgia held special significance for the couple—most of Marissa’s family lives there, and it’s just a short trip from Kemba’s relatives in North Carolina. “It just made sense to bring everyone together in a place that was both meaningful and convenient,” the bride says. The rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception all took place on the property. “Our top priority was the atmosphere and aesthetic—we wanted a space that felt beautiful, unique, and aligned with our vision for the day,” Marissa explains. “Size was also a major factor, since we knew we’d be hosting a large group of guests and wanted everyone to feel comfortable.”
Kemba collaborated with longtime friend and designer Tom Paolini—who’s been tailoring his suits for over a decade—to create his wedding day look. “I knew he was the perfect person to bring my vision to life,” Kemba says. “I sent him a bunch of inspiration photos, and he took it from there—delivering exactly what I had imagined.” The result was a timeless, double-breasted suit with a flared bottom that Kemba describes as “flawless.” He adds, “What I loved most was the fit: a classic cut!” Paolini also surprised him with a second custom look for the reception, based on more inspiration Kemba had shared. “Once again, he absolutely nailed it.”
When R&B singer #Marissa and four-time NBA All-Star #KembaWalker got married earlier this July, they chose the Conservatory at Blackberry Ridge in Trenton, Georgia, as their venue. Getting married in Georgia held special significance for the couple—most of Marissa’s family lives there, and it’s just a short trip from Kemba’s relatives in North Carolina. As such, the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception all took place on the property.
National Basketball Association superstar Russell Westbrook is taking a shot off the court at simplifying funeral planning with artificial intelligence. The famed Denver Nuggets point guard on Wednesday announced the launch of Eazewell, a startup that uses AI technology to streamline the process for coordinating funerals. Westbrook founded the venture with former Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker and childhood friend Donnell Beverly Jr., who serves as president of Russell Westbrook Enterprises and CEO and co-founder of Eazewell.
Kemba Walker to play in BIG3 League
Chris Haynes: Four-time NBA All-Star point guard Kemba Walker has reached an agreement to play for @IceCube ’s @TheBig3 for the 2025 season, league sources tell me.
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"We think this is going to be the best practice facility in the league," Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall said. "It's going to have facilities that free agents will want to come and play with us, our players will want to stay and be here, and we'll be able to develop our players into stars over time." Among those on hand for the ceremony were former Hornets players Muggsy Bogues and Kemba Walker, the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Several current players including LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller also attended.
James Harden passes Moses Malone in scoring
Jorge Sierra: James Harden passed Moses Malone in scoring last night and is No. 11 in NBA history now. Fellow Clipper Kawhi Leonard moved ahead of Kemba Walker and Hersey Hawkins for No. 176.
Alvarado also cites Kemba Walker, the UConn legend who made a name for himself during his college days and in the NBA, as a player who left an impact. “I remember those games like they were yesterday,” Alvarado reflects, recalling Walker’s memorable Madison Square Garden performances. “I actually went to one of those games, and now we’re cool. We’re probably going to work out in the summer, so that’s pretty dope.” In addition, Alvarado has formed a bond with Fred VanVleet, another player who he considers a mentor and “big bro.” “I love watching the Houston Rockets because Fred is there now,” he says. “That’s one of my guys.”
Kemba Walker took one day after retirement to announce his next move. With the decision taken out of his hands to stop playing, he decided to stay as close to the NBA as he could for now. “Nothing (inspired me),” he joked to CLNS Media/CelticsBlog. “I don’t know why I did it.” “Charles (Lee) called me. I knew I was gonna retire, so Charles called me, asked if I wanted to be part of this. I felt like it was a no brainer, to be honest. I live in Charlotte, I’ve lived here since I got drafted here. I’ve done so many great things here. We have some great young talent. I just wanted to be around the game still, do what I can to help. It’s the closest thing to the game. I love basketball so much.”
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“It was cool (seeing the Celtics win the championship),” Walker said. “Especially the guys who I was able to be there with, like JT and Jaylen, the growth over the years has been unbelievable. So to be able to play with them and see with my own eyes how much they grew to win a championship, it’s pretty special actually.”
Walker doesn’t see coaching as a career, but will leave his mind open for that to change. Pritchard smiled when asked if he ever saw Walker coaching, saying Walker probably doesn’t need the money. The commitment suits him for now as he navigates retirement, which hasn’t brought any new interests or hobbies yet. He feels like God put him on Earth to be around basketball. “It’s been easy,” Walker said. “The people around here make my days easy, my life easy. I’m just having a good time, to be honest. I’m not thinking about, ‘damn I wish I played or lasted to this season.’ It’s pretty good.”
Gordon Hayward on Rudy Gobert's perimeter defending: Anytime we played a quick guard that can shoot it was going to be tough
The Timberwolves' defense is anchored by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Recently, retired NBA guard Gordon Hayward, who played alongside Gobert for several seasons with the Utah Jazz, broke down the one key weakness that Gobert has on that side of the floor during a visit to the Pat Bev Podcast with Rone. “He always had problems guarding around the perimeter and that was something anytime we played like a quick guard that can also shoot it was going to be tough for us,” said Hayward. “We had really tough times against Boston when they had IT (Isiah Thomas). We had really tough times against Kemba, we had really tough times against Dame. Guards that if he came out too far they go right around him, and if he’s back at all they’re just shooting.”
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