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Motor
City
Cruise
Promotes
Durand
"Speedy"
Walker
to
President,
Basketball
Operations
Dusty
Schoenherr
- Sports
Tell Us
Detroit
DETROIT
- The
Motor
City
Cruise
has
appointed
Durand
"Speedy"
Walker
as
President
of
Basketball
Operations,
the NBA
G League
team
announced
Tuesday.
Walker
will
oversee
all
basketball
operations
for the
Detroit
Pistons'
affiliate,
including
supervision
of
General
Manager
Max
Unger.
The
promotion
elevates
Walker
from his
role as
special
consultant
during
the
2024-25
season,
where he
contributed
to
several
key
personnel
decisions.
Under
his
guidance,
the
Cruise
drafted
Cameron
Martin,
who
established
a
franchise
record
with 169
rebounds
in the
Tip-Off
Tournament.
Walker
also
identified
John
Ukomadu
during
open
tryouts,
with
Ukomadu
subsequently
leading
all
rookies
in
three-point
shooting
percentage
at 46.6%
and
becoming
the
franchise's
first
NBA G
League
Slam
Dunk
Contest
participant.
"I'm
truly
honored
for the
opportunity
to lead
and
continue
building
on the
foundation
of the
Motor
City
Cruise,"
Walker
said in
a
statement.
"My
passion
for
working
with
young
athletes
and
helping
them
grow has
never
been
stronger."
Walker
brings
extensive
experience
within
the
Pistons
organization,
having
served
as a
scout
for 18
years
with a
focus on
draft
evaluation
and
player
development.
The
Detroit
native
founded
The
Family
Basketball
Organization
in 1992,
a
grassroots
program
that has
generated
more
than 200
scholarships
and
developed
23 NBA
players.
A
standout
player
at
Marion
College
(now
Indiana
Wesleyan
University)
from
1978-82,
Walker
finished
as the
program's
second-leading
scorer
with
2,409
points
and
all-time
leader
in
assists
with
946. He
was
inducted
into the
Indiana
Wesleyan
Hall of
Fame in
2018 and
still
holds
school
records
for
steals
in a
game
(12),
season
(129)
and
career
(422).
Walker
was
selected
by the
Cleveland
Cavaliers
in the
10th
round of
the 1982
NBA
Draft
before
transitioning
to youth
development
and
scouting
work. He
holds a
bachelor's
degree
in
Economics
and
Criminal
Justice
from
Marion
College.
The
appointment
aligns
Walker's
role
with
Detroit
Pistons
President
of
Basketball
Operations
Trajan
Langdon's
organizational
vision,
with
Walker
stating
his
commitment
to
talent
evaluation
and
player
development
in the G
League
system.
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