Nickeil Alexander-Walker lives the good life these days.
The former Virginia Tech basketball standout plays in the NBA and for a young New Orleans team currently fighting for a playoff spot. He lives in New Orleans, a lively city with a vibrant nightlife and some of the best cuisine in the world. And when he tires of the Big Easy, he bounces to Los Angeles to visit with friends and family in the nation's second-biggest city.
But a discussion on how his collegiate career ended still stings.
"It was one of the hardest to watch in terms of the seniors," Alexander-Walker said about his final game during a phone interview last week.
Alexander-Walker was referencing Virginia Tech's 75-73 loss to Duke in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The game ended in excruciating fashion for the Hokies, as Ahmed Hill missed a potential game-tying layup in the final seconds.
The missed attempt and loss marked an unfortunate end for Tech, which set a school record for victories with 26 in 2018-19 and made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1967. Hill, Justin Robinson and Ty Outlaw all graduated off that squad, and Alexander-Walker left, too, deciding to forgo his final two seasons and make himself eligible for the NBA Draft.
"For me, I was a sophomore, and I was thankful to be there [at the NCAA Tournament]," Alexander-Walker said. "Regardless, I was going to be able to see another collegiate game if I chose to. To go out that way, and Ahmed Hill being one of my closest teammates at that time, and for him to end his career that way, I just felt for him immediately. I was in shock at everything that happened."
Alexander-Walker occasionally gets reminded of that game and others because of a relationship with one of his current teammates – former Duke standout Zion Williamson, who scored a game-high 23 points in that game and later became the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Williamson is one of five former Duke players on the Pelicans' roster, but Alexander-Walker gets along with all of them, though he endures the occasional ribbing.
"Zion and I talk about games from time to time, especially that game in the Sweet 16, just the experience," Alexander-Walker said. "We even watched it together one time just hanging out. It'll come out from time to time, just a little friendly trash talk."
Alexander-Walker and his teammates returned to the court July 22 after a four-month hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pelicans played a scrimmage game against the Brooklyn Nets in Orlando – the city where 22 teams are staying, as the NBA attempts to conclude the season. Regular-season play resumes tonight (Thursday).
Dubbed "The Bubble," teams are staying at the Walt Disney World resort and playing games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex under strict protocols. No fans are allowed, and the league requires that players stay at the resort at all times unless receiving prior approval to leave.
Some players probably cringe at such restrictions, but Alexander-Walker likes basketball and being back on the court, so he views the sacrifice as minimal.
"It's been fun," he said. "It takes you back to being a kid on AAU trips in hotels, just chillin'. The food has been great. The restaurant's good. My teammates are cool. You really get to bond. You've got the players' lounge, all kinds of snacks. I'm playing basketball and chillin'. You can't ask for anything more."
Alexander-Walker's return to the court went successfully, as he scored 14 points in the Pelicans' scrimmage win over Brooklyn on July 22. Three days later, he poured in 21 points and had five assists in New Orleans' victory over Denver.
Alexander-Walker played much in the way he played last summer when he averaged 24.3 points, 6.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game playing in the NBA Summer League. Yet during the season, his production dipped, and he averaged just 5.1 points, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game in 41 games.
Obviously, he faced each team's best night in and night out, but he also went through the traditional rookie growing pains. Alexander-Walker hopes those are behind him.
"It's [being in the NBA] definitely not what I expected, and no matter what, it's not going to be," he said. "The best thing I could say to somebody is to try your best to be consistent every day. It is a rollercoaster ride, and it's a long season as well. You can't dwell on things. You have to be able to move forward and be professional. Stick to a routine and come to work every day. Just be that same person.
"That's one of the biggest adjustments that I've learned with myself. Just remaining confident and focus on what's important. As a young guy, you want to be good and improve yourself so much that you tend to rush things instead of letting it come."
Alexander-Walker also has learned patience. He fractured his right (shooting) wrist in a practice in early March and missed several games before the pandemic delayed the NBA season. He went to Los Angeles, where he stayed with family and friends during the pandemic, but he wasn't able to take full advantage of the extra time to work on his game because of his injured wrist.
He avoided surgery, and he spent a lot of time doing rehab exercises. He spent the remainder of his time doing conditioning to stay in shape and drills with his left hand. He also kept close tabs on his family in Toronto, his hometown.
"Enjoy life," he said when asked what the time away from basketball during the pandemic taught him. "With every going on, you feel like, 'What's happening with the world?' You just kind of want to live every day like it's your last – just not knowing who has what and being in contact with so many people. Being so far away from my family, it's just making sure that everyone's good, and you really focus on what's important in life and what matters."
Rest assured, Virginia Tech isn't far from his thoughts either. He spent two seasons in Blacksburg and started all 67 games in which he played, developing unbreakable relationships with his teammates, then-head coach Buzz Williams and the rest of the coaching staff.
But Virginia Tech was more than just about basketball for him. It was about the people – something most athletes say when they leave campus for the next step in their careers.
"A bunch," Alexander-Walker said when asked how much he missed Virginia Tech. "I tell everybody I talk to about it. I love Virginia Tech. I love Blacksburg. It was hard for me to leave. So many strong, solid, real relationships were built there, and I'm thankful for every minute of it. I definitely look forward to coming back in the future as much as I can."
For sure, that door always will be open — and he'll always be welcome.