November 08, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Jabari Walker has firmly cemented himself as a candidate to be the Sixers' backup center.
CHICAGO – Jabari Walker remembers being told as a sophomore in high school that he had a gift.
"I didn't realize at the time how far it would go and how impressive it was," Walker told PhillyVoice after sparking the Sixers with nine points and 11 rebounds off the bench in Sunday afternoon's road win over the Chicago Bulls. "People would always tell me, like, 'Man, you can catch the ball, like rebounds just float to you.' And I realized kids weren't doing the same thing. I was like, 'Okay, maybe this is a gift.' Now I'm here and it's an ability I've been blessed with."
After their worst start of the season, the Sixers summoned Walker and the 24-year-old immediately changed the tenor of the game. He played over nine straight minutes, and during that time created nine Sixers points with four offensive rebounds (and also scored four points himself). The Sixers pulled ahead and never relinquished their lead.
"He's continuing to do the same thing, starting with playing hard," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said postgame. "Five offensive rebounds and probably another five or six near-misses. So it's funny, when he's in there and it's such a harder defensive rebound for them, it slows transition. So those are impactful plays, too... Very, very good minutes for him."
Nurse described offensive rebounds leading to baskets as having a particularly impactful emotional impact on a team, and Walker is this team's best rebounder on either end of the floor. He may only be 6-foot-7, but Walker has been the Sixers' best backup center by a wide margin because he is so impactful on the glass.
Walker is listed at 237 pounds, but plays with incredible strength. He cannot be moved. But it is about so much more than muscle, or even hustle. Yes, Walker brings both of those in spades, but rebounding is not a pure effort game. Walker lit up when given the chance to dive into "the science of it."
"You've got to have some sense of IQ, like to read the ball," Walker said. "You can really break it down to, like, the science of it. Think about who's shooting, where they're shooting from, the percentage of it going long, is it contested, maybe it'll come off a little bit more wild when it's contested, if it's wide open, maybe it'll bounce a little softer. Things like that. Where's your man at? Are you at the five or four? If you're at the five, maybe just worry about getting your man out of there first. If you're at the four, you've got a guy that doesn't crash, maybe you don't have to look as hard. You can go pursue a rebound. Just things like that. There's a game inside the game when it comes to that, and it's fun."
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At the NBA level, rebounding is what makes Walker viable. But the rest of the puzzle pieces connecting in his game is what has prompted a fifth-year leap.
Walker came to Philadelphia last season after a three-year stint with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was a career 31.8 percent three-point shooter on low volume. The Sixers' internal metrics graded him as a good shooter, and Nurse constantly implored him to take spot-up threes with real conviction. A slow start doomed him last season; his confidence from beyond the arc waned quickly and he never found it again. Now it is back. He is 2-for-7 so far this season in limited minutes, but both of his makes – one on Sunday in Chicago, one last week in Charlotte – have come after misses:
second times a charm 🫡 pic.twitter.com/SAd6VQGAIE
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 1, 2026
"A year ago," Walker said last week of the play above, "I don't know if I would have shot that one again."
Walker's confidence has extended to all facets of his game. With Ariel Hukporti down for the season and all of Joel Embiid, Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow dealing with absences, too, Walker has played far more center than power forward. It is not his natural position, and he is not a perfect fit there. But, as Nurse has liked to say whenever asked about him, Walker "never plays bad."
"Jabari was great, obviously," Embiid said after Sunday's win. "We don't offensive rebound a lot. He came in, gave us a bunch of looks off rebounding."
After a full preseason of playing the five, Walker feels like he has a much better understanding of what it takes to man the middle. He said it has helped him develop stronger chemistry with Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James in particular.
"Understanding the plays, understanding everybody's tendencies. I've been a lot more comfortable with the ball in my hands and making plays, making those passes, building my chemistry with Tyrese. Back-doors, we've gotten a couple of those this year," Walker said. "And just the connection with Bron, talking to him while we're in transition. ‘Bron, do you want me to set you a screen? Okay, come to me, go over there.’ And it's just [flowing], it’s fast. I use my speed to my advantage. I realize even at the five, I don't have to play like a traditional five. So I think that's what I'm kind of embracing. Stepped outside to the three today, hoping that picks up over time and just being able to use that to my advantage, spacing and just being fast, being in the short roll, being a threat, being fast and just using what I have."
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Particularly given Bona's loud struggles in between a preseason foot injury and a recent neck injury, Walker's loud contributions – literally, he screams after most of his hustle plays – have turned heads. Nurse has made nearly identical comments about Walker's reliability after every single appearance. Sixers fans have responded to them with angst, wondering why Walker has not seen the court more.
Walker noticed after a recent win that he had gained thousands of followers on Instagram in one night. Especially for a team with plenty of new fans as a result of James' arrival, he has capitalized on a chance to cement himself as a player fans trust.
Jabari Walker appreciation post 👊 pic.twitter.com/Bq4jhicogR
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 8, 2026
One hustle play at a time, Walker is becoming a fan favorite. What does it mean to him?
"You know, it makes me happy, because I like to connect with the community, fan base," Walker said. "I was new last year. I don't think they knew me, so I got off to a little bit of a rough start with them. You know, they're going to let you hear it when they don't know you. But I think they just connect a lot with my passion and the way I play. So I'm glad to be able to earn their trust and respect. Because that was on my mind a lot: I wanted to prove myself and make my name known, and I think the fans are starting to come around. Just fuels me to be better and continue to play with that passion."
