Kenny Walker (basketball)
The high-flying dunker nicknamed 'Sky' who electrified Madison Square Garden and won an NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American basketball player·Birthday: August 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kenny Walker's journey from rural Georgia to the bright lights of New York City is a story of athletic grace under pressure. At the University of Kentucky, he became a fan favorite and a consensus All-American, setting the stage for his selection by the Knicks in the 1986 draft. In New York, his soaring leaps and powerful finishes earned him the perfect nickname 'Sky' and made him a staple of highlight reels. While his scoring was reliable, his 1989 Slam Dunk Contest victory, where he famously donned a Superman cape, cemented his place in basketball pop culture. His career, later impacted by a serious knee injury, transitioned into broadcasting, where his deep, familiar voice became a staple for Kentucky basketball fans on Lexington radio, connecting his past on the court to his life after the game.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kenny was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kenny Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Kenny's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1989, famously performing in a Superman cape.
- Played six seasons for the New York Knicks after being their first-round draft pick in 1986.
- Earned consensus All-American honors in 1986 during his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky.
- Had his jersey number 34 retired by the University of Kentucky in 2021.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Sky' was given to him by Knicks broadcaster John Andariese.
He is a talented visual artist and has held exhibitions of his paintings.
After his NBA career, he played professionally in Greece and Italy.
He hosts a daily radio show on WVLK-AM in Lexington, Kentucky.
“You have to play with a certain level of confidence, or you won't last in this league.”
