Former Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Clippers point guard John Wall took to social media today to announce that he is retiring from the NBA after 11 seasons in the league. In his post, he wrote, “Retired but never done. Doing it the #WallWay.”
“Today, I’m stepping off of the court, but not away from the game,” Wall said in a video he shared earlier today. “Basketball will always be in my life, and new opportunities present themselves. I feel now is the time to walk confidently into my next chapter.”
John Wall rose to fame in high school, where he emerged as the top-ranked point guard in the Class of 2009. He wound up being the second-ranked high school prospect overall behind future NBAer Derrick Favors.
After being pursued by numerous blueblood programs, John Wall announced his commitment to the University of Kentucky alongside other top recruits like DeMarcus Cousins (#3), Daniel Orton (#19), and Eric Bledsoe (#44). In his lone season of college basketball, Wall helped the Wildcats go an NCAA-best 35-3 on their way to a number-one seed in March Madness. However, Kentucky eventually fell short of the Championship after losing to the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Elite Eight. Following a successful one-year stint with Kentucky, John Wall declared for the 2010 NBA Draft, where he was taken by the Washington Wizards with the first overall pick.
In his first pro season, John Wall was named to the 2011 NBA All-Rookie First-Team. He also finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Blake Griffin.
In the years after, Wall showed continued improvement before being named to his first NBA All-Star Game during the 2013-14 season. He would make four more All-Star Game appearances through the 2017-18 season. During this All-Star stretch, Wall averaged 19.9 points, 9.9 assists, 1.8 steals, and 4.4 rebounds per game while making 43.6% of his shots.
After 2017-18, John Wall’s career was littered with injuries. He only played in 32 games for the Wizards during the 2018-19 campaign before his season was ended prematurely by a heel injury. Unfortunately for Wall, an incision from the surgery did not heal properly, which caused him to miss the entirety of the COVID-19 season.
On December 2nd, 2020, Wall and a 2023 first-round draft pick were traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook. Wall played in 30 games before his season was cut short by a Grade-Two hamstring injury. After agreeing with the Rockets to sit out the 2021-22 season, John Wall’s contract was bought out in June of 2022, allowing him to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year deal. In February of 2023, Wall was traded back to the Houston Rockets before being waived three days later.
John Wall retires as the Wizards’ all-time leader in assists (5,282) and steals (976). He also ranks in the top ten in franchise history in games (eighth), minutes played (fourth), points scored (fourth), and field goals made (seventh).
John Wall’s legacy
There’s a shot that John Wall makes the Hall of Fame. According to Pro-Basketball-Reference, Wall’s chances to make the Hall of Fame come in at 32.39%, which is 25th amongst all active players. Considering he basically has a one in three chance to someday be enshrined in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, it’s safe to say that John Wall had a stellar career.
Though he didn’t experience much winning during his career, John Wall helped the Wizards return to relevance. During the ten seasons he spent with Washington, he led the Wizards to the postseason four times, resulting in three playoff series wins.
In the annals of Washington basketball history, John Wall is up there with some of the all-time greats. Hall of Famer Wes Unseld takes the top spot as the best player in Washington Wizards history. He holds several franchise records, including games (984), minutes played (35,832), and total rebounds (13,769), and he led the Wizards to their lone championship in 1978. Right behind Unseld is fellow Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes, who is Washington’s all-time leading scorer and was named to eight straight All-Star Games in the nine seasons he spent with the team. After those two guys, there are a few different guys who have a case to be considered the third-best player in Washington Wizards history, but I think that honor belongs to John Wall.
Though he played his best basketball from the ages of 23 to 28, John Wall will be remembered for the fun and dancing he brought to Kentucky in college and Washington after he was drafted. When talking about John Wall, his unmatched speed on the court and his playmaking ability as a passer will always be the first things mentioned, along with being one of the most exciting players of the 2010s.
