Walter Lee McCarty (born February 1, 1974) is a former American basketball player who has played for the NBA's New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers. He normally plays power forward, but has played all positions except point guard. He is unusually mobile for a player of his size, and is an excellent long range shooter.
Born in Evansville, Indiana, the 6-foot, 10-inch (2.08 m) McCarty played college basketball at the University of Kentucky where he was a part of the team that won the NCAA championship in 1996. In 1994, Walter's made three pointer completed Kentucky's 31 point comeback over LSU - the biggest 2nd half rally in NCAA history. He was selected by the Knicks with the 19th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.
McCarty played for the Knicks until October of 1997, when he was traded to the Celtics. McCarty played in all 82 games that season, starting 64 of them. He also established career highs in virtually every category during this season. Over the next few years, he was one of Boston's top options off the bench, often making a key defensive play or three point shot. He became a fan favorite in Boston for his gutsy play, hustle, and penchant for making the big shot. He was also a favorite of former Hall of Fame player and current announcer Tommy Heinsohn, who often exclaimed "I love Walter!" after some of McCarty's plays.
In February of 2005, McCarty was traded, along with an undisclosed amount of cash, to the Suns for a second round pick as a result of the Celtics' youth movement. Walter McCarty signed with the Clippers in the offseason of 2005.
In June 2007, McCarty accepted an assistant coach job at the University of Louisville under head men's basketball coach Rick Pitino, under whom he played at Kentucky and with the Celtics.
