John Wall, the first-overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft and a long-time Washington Wizards star, has announced his retirement from the league after toiling on the free-agent market for the last two seasons.
In fact, since the end of his illustrious nine-year stint in Washington, Wall has appeared in just 74 games over the past five seasons and none since January of 2023.
Now 34, Wall announced his decision in a slow-motion social media video.
‘Every jersey I wore meant more than wins and stats,’ Wall said. ‘It was about representing something bigger. And it’s something I couldn’t do without you.’
He also thanked teammates, coaches, trainers, fans and his family, especially his mother, Frances Pulleym, who died from breast cancer in 2019.
‘Thank you for all your sacrifices,’ he said. ‘I hope I made you proud.’
John Wall shakes hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern after being selected first
John Wall attends a 2024 game between the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces
The emphasis of the video was that Wall is not leaving the game, which ‘will always be in my life,’ he said.
‘As new opportunities present themselves, I feel now is the time to walk confidently into my next chapter,’ Wall said.
‘Retired but never done. Doing it the Wall way.’
Raised by Pulleym while his father was incarcerated (Wall Sr. would die from liver cancer in 1999), the younger Wall was considered one of the biggest high school recruits in recent memory. But despite playing in Raleigh, North Carolina, where UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke and N.C. State all seemed like early favorites to land the prized point guard, Wall instead opted for another basketball blue blood: Kentucky.
It was in Lexington that Wall earned the Adolph Rupp Trophy, named for the legendary Kentucky coach and awarded to the best player in the country.
The newly minted SEC Player of the Year jumped to the NBA the following season and spent the better part of the next decade starring for the Wizards.
John Wall enjoyed doing pre-game dances, such as the ‘Dougie’, for his teammates’ benefit
Although he wasn’t a gifted shooter, Wall excelled at driving to the hoop and finding open teammates for easy buckets.
For his career, Wall averaged 18.7 points and 8.9 assists a game, but was at his best from 2013 through 2018, earning five All-Star nods while averaging a hair under 20 and 10 per night.
He also developed a large fan following thanks, in part, to his frequent dance performances during pre-game introductions. Wall became well known for doing the ‘Dougie,’ much to the delight of Wizards fans, who didn’t have much else to cheer for.
The Wizards never win more than 50 games in any season during Wall’s tenure in Washington, where the team won a total of three playoff series over that time.
Wall finished his impressive career with forgettable stints in Houston and with the Los Angeles Clippers.
