John Wall is retiring from the NBA after 11 seasons in the league, his last coming in 2022-23. Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news on social media.
Wall was the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft after playing a single year at the University of Kentucky. Drafted by the Washington Wizards, Wall would play nine seasons for the club before being traded to the Houston Rockets along with a 2023 first-round pick for Russell Westbrook in 2020. After playing with the Rockets in the 2020-21 season,
Wall and Rockets came to a mutual agreement for him to not play at all the following year: Houston was rebuilding, and Wall wasn’t interested in playing in a backup role behind Kevin Porter Jr. Wall remained a member of the team, attending games and practicing with the squad, but he didn’t take the court in a game in 2021-22.
After the season, Wall and the Rockets agreed to a contract buyout, making him a free agent. He then signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2022-23 season. Wall played 34 games with the Clippers, but was traded back to Houston in February of 2023 in a three-team trade. He was waived shortly thereafter by the Rockets. Wall had hoped to play again in the NBA, but it was not to be.
Wall was immensely talented, making the NBA All-Star team five straight years between 2014 and 2018. He was exceptionally fast and quick, earning the best lane agility score and second best 3/4 court sprint score in the 2010 NBA Draft combine. In the NBA he used his speed to great effect with lightning-fast transition play and explosive cuts to the basket.
Injuries were sadly a significant factor in Wall’s time in the NBA. Early in his career he had numerous knee injuries that caused him to miss games. In January 2018 he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. In 2019 he underwent surgery on his heel to mitigate a bony enlargement, but an infection developed following that procedure. During a second surgery to deal with the infection, an Achilles rupture was discovered, apparently caused by an off-the-court slip. Recovery would keep him from playing for rest of the 2018-19 season and all of the following season.
Hi injuries, coinciding with the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of his mother and grandmother, took a serious toll on his mental health. After finding himself in a very dark place he sought help from friends and professionals, a journey he describes in a moving piece in the Player’s Tribune.
Wall finished his career averaging 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.6 steal per game. Between 2014-15 and 2016-17 he averaged a double-double in assists and points. It’s unfortunate that we never got to experience a heathy John Wall on a team equipped to challenge for a title.
