The 2010’s were a special time in Washington D.C. The wins were aplenty, and the vibes were high. Before games in the starting lineup intros, as well as after victories, everybody was doing the John Wall.
The Washington Wizards announced on Thursday, that they would be retiring the 5X All-Star’s jersey later this month.
January 29th is going to be a big day, as they welcome the Bucks to town and hang #2 in the rafters. The entire city was energized by what the 2010 #1 pick brought to the table, and it’s only fitting he’ll have this honor.
Wall played in 573 games across nine seasons, helping to guide Washington to four different postseasons. They were one victory away from the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals, a place they have not been in decades.
Endless Memories of John Wall in D.C.
Thinking back on the John Wall era, it’s not all sunshines and rainbows for the Washington Wizards. But it goes without a question that the good outweighs the bad.
Perhaps the biggest moment during his time in D.C. came during the 2017 Eastern Conference Semis, in Game 6. With the season hanging on the balance and a two-point deficit, Wall stepped up and put through the go-ahead three. It put Washington up 92-91, where they would stay, extending the series one more game.
Not only that, but Wall went and celebrated by jumping on the scorestable after the game, a la Dwyane Wade.
The bucket gave him 26 points for the day, and put he and Bradley Beal with 59 total combined points. This was the pinnacle of this era of Wizards basketball.
Injuries played a part during the tail end of Wall’s time, and forced him as well into an eventual early retirement. A slew of incidents happened that limited him to only 73 games during his final two years in Washington.
He would eventually be traded for Russell Westbrook, and appear in just 83 total games between Houston and LA.
The most shocking thing about the whole situation, is that Wall is just 35 years of age. Plenty of stars have been able to make it much longer, but this was not one that could go there.
Nowadays, he can be found as an analyst for the NBA on Amazon Prime.
Another All-Star Point Guard Joining Wizards
Over the last several seasons, the Wizards have been sitting at the bottom of the East. They happened to sneak into the postseason led by Russell Westbrook in 2021, but were no match for the Philadelphis 76ers. Trading John Wall for him proved to be worth it at the time.
Russ had a season for the ages, putting up triple-double after triple-double. He did what he could, before being moved again after the season.
Since then, the team has won 35, 35, 18, and 15 games, missing the postseason all four times. The addition of Trae Young gives them an All-Star point guard once again.
Young took the Hawks to the ECF in the same year Westbrook last had D.C. in the playoffs. It is unclear if he is going to get playing time this season, but the future is brighter with him in the building.
This is a squad that was in search of their franchise PG, and they finally have him back in the building. Young is just 27 years of age, and should have the offense functioning as well as the staff could dream it to.
Finishing up on John Wall here, one more salute. His time in Washington was special. The jersey retirement will bring back positive memories for Wizards and NBA fans alike. It’ll be an incredible day, filled with nostalgic moments.
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