Nickeil Alexander-Walker stared up at the scoreboard and smiled Monday night as a tribute video played in his honor. The Timberwolves were welcoming the guard back to Minnesota.
Now a member of the Atlanta Hawks, Alexander-Walker seemed to be holding in some emotion as several of his highlights flashed across the screen before he was officially announced to a standing ovation at Target Center.
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Alexander-Walker noted it was “pretty cool” to see a tribute video dedicated to him. It’s an honor for anyone, but particularly for someone who describes himself as a “role player.” He wasn’t drafted by Minnesota and spent just two and a half seasons with the organization. Yet he received a hero’s welcome.
“It was just really cool, you know? You dream of those things as a kid, getting the tributes, getting the love from the fans, the standing ovations. Minnesota has been nothing short of amazing to me, from the organization to the city, everything,” he said after the game. “Honestly, watching (the video), it was hard not to smile and just appreciate it.”
In the same way he has been appreciated by Minnesota since he busted onto the scene during the 2023 postseason. Alexander-Walker noted significant tributes are often saved for folks who defined a team’s culture. But, in many ways, that’s what he did in Minnesota.
His effort, defensive tenacity and positive attitude were some of the primary building blocks for both of the Timberwolves’ two most recent Western Conference Finals runs, and everyone recognized it. Maybe more than even Alexander-Walker knew. It was undeniable to the naked eye Monday, from the fans in Alexander-Walker’s No. 9 jersey to those who lit up at the first sight of him exiting the Hawks’ team hotel.
Alexander-Walker described his entire return to Minnesota as “pretty amazing.”
“I didn’t think (my presence) was as substantial as they made it to seem,” he said. “I was excited to come back, but the love that I got from the moment that I was a part of that trade (with Utah in 2023) in the last minute to when I had to leave, honestly, I have so much love for Minnesota and the fans, and I want to personally thank everybody for that.”
It’s what drives him.
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“The small things like that really make the work you put in,” he said. “As you go along, when you have days where you go 3 for 15, and it’s like, ‘Man, I can’t hit a shot.’ Or, ‘My body is hurting, why do I do this stuff?’ It’s just because there’s people that really appreciate the work you put in.”
Alexander-Walker was excellent even in defeat Monday, finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in Minnesota’s runaway victory. With the Hawks down 31 in the third quarter, it was Alexander-Walker’s energy that brought Atlanta back to within 16 before Minnesota finally closed the door.
It was typical Alexander-Walker — playing hard to the final buzzer.
“These things don’t really belong to us. They’re not like a birthright, you know what I’m saying?” he said. “It’s like you earn it, and it’s a privilege to be here. It’s a privilege to have this opportunity and just making the most out of it.”
It’s that dedication, coupled with a magnetic personality, that made him adored by fans and teammates. Signed Timberwolves jerseys continued to pile on top of his chair in Atlanta’s locker room after the game.
Alexander-Walker and Anthony Edwards swapped jerseys on the court at the conclusion of Monday’s contest. He estimated he’d have six or seven of his former teammates’ jerseys by night’s end.
Well, after the game had ended, Alexander-Walker roamed the halls of Target Center as he connected with former teammates and staff members, greeting each with a smile and one of his patented handshakes.
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This was a piece of his family. And he was home.
“All these guys are my brothers. The relationships we have, no matter the personality, all of us just meshed well,” Alexander-Walker said. “We all got along, we were all cool, all cracked jokes, and we all went through the same struggles together. I think that’s made us closer.
“We all related on certain things, and we were there to boost each other up. Naz (Reid) had my back when I’d be frustrated; I’d have Jaden’s (McDaniels) back a lot. We were there to pick each other up at times. So, that’s why I think stuff like this kind of shows up.”
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