Source: Gregory Shamus / Getty
The writing has been on the wall for more than two seasons, but John Wall has officially retired.
The 35-year-old announced on social media in a nearly two-minute-long clip that begins with him strolling through a dimly lit gym before eventually resting in the bleachers and reminiscing about where it all began.
“I’ve been chasing a ball since I could barely walk. Driveways, parks, packed gyms, 5:00 a.m. workouts. I gave this game everything I had, from Raleigh to Kentucky to the league. Every jersey I’ve worn meant more than just wins and stats. It was about representing something bigger, and it’s something I couldn’t do without you. To my family, my mom especially, thank you for all your sacrifices. I hope I made you proud. To my teammates, trainers, and coaches, thank you for believing in me. And to the fans, you made me feel unstoppable.”
Then he finally breaks the news that he’s hanging up his adidas PEs, but will remain in the basketball world.
He continued: “Today I’m stepping off the court, but not away from the game. Basketball will always be in my life. As new opportunities present themselves, I feel now is the time to walk confidently into my next chapter. Thank you for every cheer, every moment. Retired, but never done, I’m doing it the Wall way.”
While Wall last played for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023, he’ll be most remembered as the wide-eyed teenager who took Kentucky basketball by storm and had an enormous amount of hype thanks to his high school mixtape, which had endless clips of him jumping out of the gym.
After a year in Kentucky, he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards in 2010. He balled out on his own for two years before the team picked up Bradley Beal to create one of the most dynamic backcourts of the 2010s. In their five seasons together, they made the postseason four times and even earned a division title.
But Wall was never able to reach his true potential because of injuries, most notably in his left knee in 2018 when he decided to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair it. Still, he was able to make a return for the playoffs, but was out a lot the following season after he surgically repaired a bone spur. His most pivotal injury came the following year while recovering from the bone spur when he slipped and fell at his home and tore his Achilles tendon.
He was sidelined for what would be his last year as a Wizard, and eventually traded to the Houston Rockets as part of the Russell Westbrook deal.
See how fans are reacting to Wall’s retirement below.