Lonnie Walker IV Bio
Lonnie Terrence Walker IV is an American professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Ligat HaAl and the EuroLeague. Born on December 14, 1998, in Reading, Pennsylvania, he plays the shooting guard position and stands 6 ft 4 in tall. Over the course of his career, he has built a résumé that includes stints in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers, followed by a season in Lithuania with Žalgiris Kaunas.
Walker first gained national attention as a high school standout at Reading Senior High School, where he was named Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball and earned McDonald’s All-American honors. After one season at the University of Miami, he declared for the 2018 NBA Draft and was selected 18th overall by the San Antonio Spurs. He has since become a journeyman guard who has played in three professional leagues and on two continents.
Early Life and Background
Lonnie Walker IV was raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, the son of Lonnie Walker III. His father had moved from New Jersey to Reading to play basketball at Alvernia University but left school after his son was born in 1998. Walker III then raised his son as a single parent while working multiple jobs, encouraging him to read after school. Reading became part of Walker’s pregame ritual and remains a habit he carries into his professional career.
Walker attended Reading Senior High School, where he made his varsity basketball debut as a freshman and averaged eight points per game across 27 contests. As a sophomore, a shortened season cut short by injury saw him average 16.9 points per game, and in his junior year he put up 17.1 points per outing. In his senior season, Walker led Reading Senior High School to its first state championship in the program’s 117-year history, scoring 22 points in a 64–60 win over the Pine-Richland Rams. He finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,828 career points, surpassing former NBA player Donyell Marshall.
Path to Basketball
During his senior year at Reading Senior High School, Walker signed with the Miami Hurricanes, turning down offers from Villanova, Kentucky, Syracuse, and Arizona. His high school accolades, including Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball and McDonald’s All-American honors, made him one of the most sought-after guard prospects in the 2017 class.
Walker made his collegiate debut with the Miami Hurricanes on November 10, 2017, recording 10 points and five assists off the bench in a 77–45 win over Gardner-Webb. He later posted a season-high 26 points and seven rebounds in his first collegiate start, a 69–54 win over Boston University. Against Louisville, he scored 25 points with a game-winning acrobatic layup in traffic to force overtime, and against Boston College, he hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left to win 79–78. He closed the year averaging 11.5 points per game and earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Lonnie Walker IV Career
Early Career (2018–2022)
On June 21, 2018, Lonnie Walker IV was selected with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. He was assigned to the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League early in his rookie year to gain experience. Walker made his NBA debut on January 3, 2019, scoring three points and grabbing one rebound in five minutes during a 125–107 win over the Toronto Raptors.
His most memorable moment as a Spur came on December 3, 2019, when he scored a career-high 28 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, to lead San Antonio to a 135–133 double-overtime win over the Houston Rockets. He finished the contest with four rebounds, three steals, and a block. He played four seasons with the Spurs before his contract ended in 2022.
Los Angeles Lakers Era (2022–2023)
On July 6, 2022, Walker signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. He opened the 2022–23 season as a starter, averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 29.8 minutes per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three-point range. He was the team’s top scorer behind LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook before knee tendinitis sidelined him in late December.
After missing 14 games, Walker returned to a reduced role following the Lakers’ acquisition of D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura at the trade deadline. In the 2023 playoffs, he scored 12 points in 25 minutes during a 127–97 win over the Golden State Warriors, giving Los Angeles a 2–1 series lead in the conference semifinals. In Game 4, he scored all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers overcome a seven-point deficit and win 104–101.
Brooklyn Nets Era (2023–2024)
On July 10, 2023, Lonnie Walker IV signed a reported one-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets. He appeared in a reduced role during the 2023–24 NBA season. Following the season finale, Walker publicly stated that he was unsatisfied with what he described as a lack of respect from the Brooklyn Nets’ coaching staff. He then became a free agent.
On August 28, 2024, Walker signed a reported one-year contract with the Boston Celtics, but he was waived on October 19, 2024, before the regular season began. The short stint in Boston opened the door for his move overseas to Žalgiris Kaunas.
Žalgiris Kaunas Era (2024–2025)
On October 30, 2024, Walker signed with Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League and the EuroLeague. He helped the team win the King Mindaugas Cup, the top domestic cup competition in Lithuania, on February 16, 2025. Three days later, on February 19, 2025, he parted ways with Žalgiris in order to return to the NBA.
Philadelphia 76ers Era (2025)
On February 21, 2025, Walker signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, joining his hometown NBA franchise. He made 20 appearances with seven starts, averaging 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. After the 2024–25 NBA season concluded, the 76ers declined to exercise their team option on his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Maccabi Tel Aviv Era (2025–Present)
On July 24, 2025, Lonnie Walker IV signed a two-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague. The contract is worth approximately $5 million gross and includes NBA exit clauses for both 2025 and 2026, giving him the option to return to the NBA at any point during the deal. He currently wears jersey number 8 for the Israeli club.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lonnie Walker IV is known for his athleticism, vertical explosiveness, and ability to score in bunches. He showed an ability to take over fourth quarters in stretches, including his 19-point fourth quarter for the Spurs and his fourth-quarter comeback in the Lakers’ 2023 playoff win over the Warriors. He developed into a reliable three-point shooter during his Lakers season, hitting 38.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Notable Events and Milestones
Walker’s 28-point, 19-in-the-fourth-quarter performance against the Houston Rockets in 2019 stands as his NBA career high. He also made school history in 2017 by leading Reading Senior High School to its first state title in 117 years and breaking Donyell Marshall’s school scoring record. In February 2025, he added the King Mindaugas Cup to his trophy case with Žalgiris Kaunas.
Lonnie Walker IV Career Highlights
Across his professional career, Lonnie Walker IV has won one major team trophy, the 2025 King Mindaugas Cup with Žalgiris Kaunas, and earned multiple individual honors in his pre-professional years. His résumé includes individual recognition in high school and college, but his NBA career has not produced a major individual award. He remains active in his prime years as a professional guard.
NBA Highlights
Walker’s most memorable NBA moment came on December 3, 2019, when he scored a career-high 28 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, in a 135–133 double-overtime win over the Houston Rockets. With the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022–23, he averaged 14.7 points per game before knee tendinitis cut his season short. In the 2023 playoffs, he delivered a key fourth-quarter performance in a 104–101 win over the Golden State Warriors. With the Philadelphia 76ers in 2025, he averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 20 appearances.
Other Wins & Performances
In high school, Walker was named Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball and a McDonald’s All-American in 2017, then led Reading Senior High School to its first state championship. At the University of Miami, he earned a spot on the 2018 ACC All-Freshman Team. In Europe, he helped Žalgiris Kaunas capture the 2025 King Mindaugas Cup before departing the club in February 2025.
Lonnie Walker IV Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Lonnie Walker IV is the son of Lonnie Walker III, who played college basketball at Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania. His father gave up his college career after Walker IV was born in 1998 and raised him as a single parent while working multiple jobs. The elder Walker is also credited with instilling a strong reading habit in his son, which has carried into Walker’s professional routine.
Personal Life
Walker has a dog named Zola, named after a famous fictional robot. The dog appeared with him in a PETA ad campaign reminding the public not to leave pets in hot, parked cars. In June 2020, Walker revealed that he had been a victim of sexual abuse by family members during his adolescence, sharing that he had grown out his long hair as a coping mechanism before deciding to cut it.
2025 Season Performance
Lonnie Walker IV’s 2025 calendar year began with the Lithuanian Basketball League and the EuroLeague, where he helped Žalgiris Kaunas win the King Mindaugas Cup on February 16, 2025. He then left the Lithuanian club three days later to rejoin the NBA, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on February 21, 2025. He played 20 games for his hometown team, including seven starts, and averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
After the 2024–25 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers declined to exercise their team option on Walker’s contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. On July 24, 2025, he signed a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague. The contract is reportedly worth around $5 million gross and includes NBA exit clauses for 2025 and 2026, keeping the door open for a return to the NBA.
Looking ahead, Walker is expected to play a key role for Maccabi Tel Aviv in both the Ligat HaAl and the EuroLeague, with the option to leave the club if an attractive NBA opportunity arises. His combination of scoring punch and veteran experience should make him one of the more closely watched Americans playing overseas during the 2025–26 season.
