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Johnathan Hildred Wall Jr. (born September 6, 1990) is an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player for the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clippe ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...
(NBA). A
Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the South ...
native, Wall was chosen with the first overall pick of the
2010 NBA draft The 2010 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2010, at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, Nationa ...
by the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
after playing one year of
college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
. Wall, who plays the
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run the team's offense by ...
position, was a five-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of a ...
from 2014 to 2018 and was named to the
All-NBA Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
in 2017. However, he experienced multiple injuries in 2019 and missed more than two years of basketball before being traded to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
in December 2020.


Early life

Wall was born on September 6, 1990 to Frances Pulley and John Carroll Wall Sr. When he was a year old, his father, who had previously served time in prison for second-degree murder, was convicted of armed robbery. Wall Sr. was released from prison on August 24, 1999, but died of liver cancer a month later at age 52. Wall's older half-brother, John Carroll Wall Jr., promised at their father's funeral to take care of the family, but was incarcerated the next year and released in 2018. Throughout Wall's childhood, his mother worked multiple jobs to support him, his sister, Cierra, and his half-sister, Tonya. The death of his father caused Wall to frequently reject the authority of adults and act up, occasionally fighting, mostly in middle school. He was cited for breaking and entering as a teenager. Wall played for two AAU basketball teams, first Garner Road and then D-One Sports.


High school career

Wall played his first two years of high school basketball at Garner Magnet High School in
Garner, North Carolina Garner is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States and a suburb of Raleigh. The population is 31,159 as of the 2020 Census. The city limits are entirely within Wake County, though portions of unincorporated Wake County, as well as t ...
. After his second season, his family moved to
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southe ...
, where he repeated his sophomore year at Needham B. Broughton High School. Despite having a very impressive tryout, Wall was cut from the school's varsity team for attitude-related issues. For this reason, he transferred to Word of God Christian Academy, also in Raleigh. It was there that Wall set about the reform of his attitude and related issues. Coach Levi Beckwith worked with Wall, first to stop demeaning his teammates for missed layups, and later to improve his facial expressions and general demeanor. On the heels of his second sophomore year of high school, in the summer of 2007, Wall was invited to the prestigious Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia; there, he distinguished himself by scoring 28 points against a team that featured future lottery pick Brandon Jennings. In 2008, Wall played in the Elite 24 Hoops Classic, at which he scored 10 points and won co-MVP honors alongside Dominic Cheek, Maalik Wayns, and Lance Stephenson. As a fifth-year senior in 2009, Wall averaged 19.7 points, 9 assists, and over 8 rebounds for Word of God Christian Academy and was ranked one of the best high school basketball players in the class of that year. He led the Holy Rams basketball team all the way to the North Carolina Class 1A state championship; they were ultimately defeated by United Faith Christian Academy 56–53, but not before that school's Ian Miller hit a 40 foot game-clinching jump shot at the buzzer. Wall scored 11 points in the contest. He was selected to participate in the 2009
Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international men's basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, held once a year since 1995, except from 2001–2003, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of internationa ...
in
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populou ...
; he scored 13 points to go along with 11 assists and 5 steals at the high-profile event. He was also selected to play in the
Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Bl ...
that year at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
, where he notched 6 assists.


College career

Originally recruited by the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state' ...
,
Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist Jame ...
,
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part o ...
, and
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. ...
, Wall announced his commitment to attend the University of Kentucky on May 19, 2009. He was suspended by the NCAA from Kentucky's first exhibition game and first regular season game for travel benefits he received from his AAU coach Brian Clifton, a certified agent at the time. In his first action as a Wildcat, in an exhibition game against Clarion University of Pennsylvania, the freshman point guard led his team to victory with 27 points and 9 assists in 28 minutes of playing time. In his collegiate debut at Kentucky versus
Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...
, Wall made the game-winning shot with .5 seconds left on the clock to help then #5 ranked
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgin ...
win. He finished with 19 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. On December 29, 2009, against Hartford, Wall set the Kentucky single-game assist record with 16, 11 in the first half, with only 1 turnover. The mark was previously held by Travis Ford, at 15, and was broken on Ford's 40th birthday. Wall scored 9 points, failing to break double digits for the first time in his college career. On September 22, 2017, Wall was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame.


Professional career

Because Wall was a fifth-year high school senior in 2009 and would turn 19 by the end of the year, some sources argued that he would be eligible for the
2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other el ...
. League rules stated that American players must turn 19 during the year of the draft and be a year removed from their regular high school class. NBA spokesman Tim Frank told sportswriter Chad Ford that the league was not sure whether Wall met the second criterion, and that league officials would need to "do
heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Official ...
due diligence to determine his eligibility". Wall announced in April 2009 that he was not entering the
2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other el ...
, where he was expected to be the first player taken, and would attend Kentucky instead.


Washington Wizards (2010–2020)

On April 7, 2010, Wall announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and enter the
2010 NBA draft The 2010 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2010, at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, Nationa ...
, where he was expected to be the first overall selection for the Washington Wizards. On May 3, Wall signed with agent Dan Fegan. On June 23, 2010,
Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
revealed Wall as its latest signing, casting him as the face of its latest basketball shoe, the ZigTech Slash. On June 24, 2010, Wall was drafted as the first overall pick by the Wizards. On June 25, 2010, Mayor Adrian Fenty of Washington, D.C., declared June 25 John Wall Day on a plaque handed to Wall during his Wizards presser.


All-Rookie honors (2010–11)

Wall was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 23.5 points, 7.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 32.3 minutes per game. Wall made his NBA debut in a 112–83 loss to the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
. He had 14 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals. In his third game, his first home game, he tied a franchise record with nine steals, and became only the second player in NBA history to get nine assists or more in each of his first three games. On November 10, Wall recorded his first career triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists to go along with 6 steals and only 1 turnover. Wall was the third youngest player to record a triple-double in NBA history. John Wall was named 2011 Rookie Game MVP during the 2011 All-Star Weekend. Wall was also named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month from January–April and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind unanimous selection
Blake Griffin Blake Austin Griffin (born March 16, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners, when he was named the consensu ...
and was named to the
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...
.


Sophomore season (2011–12)

Wall would play in and start all of the Wizards' 66 games during the 2011–12 lockout shortened season. He was selected to play in the NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge. He was drafted to play for Team
Chuck Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer * ...
, a mix of rookies and sophomores. Wall finished the season averaging 16.3 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game.


Knee injury (2012–13)

Wall missed the beginning of the 2012–13 because of a knee injury. On January 12, he returned against the Atlanta Hawks, scoring 14 points in a Wizards win. On March 18, Wall was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played between March 11 and March 17. In a road game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 22, Wall recorded 24 points and a career-high 16 assists in a win. On March 25, in a win over the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
, Wall scored a career-high 47 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Wall ended the season with averages of 18.5 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.0 rebounds a game.


First All-Star and playoff appearance (2013–14)

On July 31, 2013, Wall, labeled by the Wizards as a
designated player The Designated Player Rule, nicknamed the Beckham Rule, allows Major League Soccer franchises to sign up to three players that would be considered outside their salary cap (either by offering the player higher wages or by paying a transfer fee ...
, signed a five-year contract extension worth approximately $80 million. On January 22, 2014, Wall recorded his second career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 111-113 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics. On January 30, 2014, Wall was selected as an East reserve for the
2014 NBA All-Star Game The 2014 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 16, 2014, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2013–14 season. It was the 63rd edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Smoothie ...
, making this his first All-Star team. During All-Star weekend, he became the first in Washington franchise history to win the Slam Dunk Contest after fans voted him the Dunker of the Night. His final dunk was a reverse slam assisted by the Wizards' mascot. On February 27, 2014, Wall had 31 points and 9 assists as the Wizards won a triple overtime game against the Raptors 134-129. It was the franchise's first triple-overtime game since 1975. On March 1, 2014, Wall recorded a then career-high 16 assists, along with 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, in a 122-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Wall averaged 19.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds on the season as the Wizards finished as the fifth seed in the East and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in six years. They went on to defeat the Chicago Bulls 4 games to 1 in their first round playoff match-up. After defeating the Bulls, Wall and the Wizards lost in the second round to the Indiana Pacers in 6 games.


All-Defensive selection (2014–15)

On December 8, 2014, Wall recorded 26 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and a then career-high 17 assists in a 133–132 double-overtime win over the Boston Celtics. Following the game, Wall dedicated the win to his close friend, six-year-old Damiyah Telemaque-Nelson, who had died of cancer earlier that day. When asked by a reporter "She meant a lot to you, didn't she?", he broke down and started to cry. He later gave her family all of his gear that he wore that night, including his shoes which had Damiyah's name on them. He went on to tie his career-high of 17 assists, along with 21 points, on December 16 in a 109–95 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On January 22, 2015, he was named an Eastern Conference starter for the
2015 NBA All-Star Game The 2015 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 15, 2015, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2014–15 season. It was the 64th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Madison S ...
, earning his first starting gig after garnering 886,368 votes. On March 14, 2015, Wall tied his season-high of 31 points while adding 12 assists in a 113–97 win over the Sacramento Kings. On April 3, he recorded 6 points and a then career-high 18 assists in a 101–87 win over the New York Knicks. On April 21, he recorded a Wizards playoff franchise record for assists with 17 as the Wizards defeated the Toronto Raptors 117–106 to take a 2–0 lead in their first-round playoff series. The Wizards went on to win the series with a 4–0 sweep, but lost their second-round series to the Atlanta Hawks in six games.


Missing playoffs (2015–16)

After starting the 2015–16 season with six wins over the first 10 games, the Wizards went on a four-game losing streak between November 24 and November 28. Wall averaged 15.0 points, 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game over that losing stretch, and shot just 33.3% from the field. On December 1, Wall recorded a then season-high 35 points, 10 assists and 5 steals in a 97–85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, breaking the Cavaliers 9–0 unbeaten streak at home to begin the season, and broke the Wizards' four-game losing streak. Following the win over the Cavaliers, Wall stated "Every team is trying to make me make jump shots this year, so I was just being aggressive and getting to the basket. I got into a rhythm early and it helped us get going." Wall's shooting percentage over the first 14 games of the season was a career worst (.390), as was his 16.1 point average. The next day, in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Wall recorded his first career back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist game, finishing the game with 34 points and 11 assists. On December 21, Wall recorded 12 points and a career-high 19 assists in a 113–99 win over the Sacramento Kings. On December 30, in a loss to the Toronto Raptors, Wall recorded his seventh straight double-double and 17th of the season. He averaged 22.6 points and 11.7 assists in 16 December games. He subsequently earned NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors for December. On January 16, he recorded a season-high 36 points, 13 assists and 7 steals against the Boston Celtics, but missed a potential tying layup at the buzzer, as the Wizards were defeated 119–117. He topped his season-high mark on February 3, scoring 41 points in a 134–121 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Two days later, he recorded his fourth career triple-double with 18 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 106–94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On February 23, he recorded his second triple-double of the season and fifth of his career with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a 109–89 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. On March 16, he recorded his third triple-double of the season with 29 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 117–96 win over the Chicago Bulls. The next day, he recorded his second straight triple-double with 16 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds in a 99–94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.


All-NBA selection (2016–17)

Following off-season surgery on both knees, Wall was rested in the second of back-to-back night games early on in the 2016–17 season, as a way of limiting his minutes. With eight assists against the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
on November 7, Wall broke
Wes Unseld Westley Sissel Unseld Sr. (March 14, 1946June 2, 2020) was an American professional basketball player, coach and executive. He spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets. Unseld ...
's franchise record (3,822) for career assists. On November 21, he recorded 18 points, a then season-high 15 assists and three blocked shots in a 106–101 win over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
. By late November, his minutes restriction was lifted. On December 6, he scored a career-high 52 points in a 124–116 loss to the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
. He made 18-of-31 from the field and added eight assists. With seven steals against the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and p ...
on December 14, Wall became Washington's franchise leader in steals, surpassing
Greg Ballard Gregory Alan Ballard (born November 20, 1954) is an American politician, author, and businessman who served as the 48th mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Marine Corps. On November 6, 2007 ...
(762). On December 26, he had 18 points and a then season-high 16 assists in a 107–102 win over the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
. On January 2, 2017, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, December 26 through Sunday, January 1. He led the Wizards to a 3–0 week while averaging 24.3 points (eighth in the East), an NBA-leading 13.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.67 steals (second in the East). A day later, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December. On January 6, 2017, Wall recorded 18 points and a season-high 18 assists in a 112–105 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
. Later that month, he was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the
2017 NBA All-Star Game The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 19, 2017, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2016–17 season. It was the 66th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at the Smoo ...
. On February 28, 2017, he tied his career high with 19 assists in a 112–108 win over the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
. On March 11, 2017, he scored 39 points in a 125–124 overtime win over the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western C ...
. Two days later, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, March 6 through Sunday, March 12. Wall led the Wizards to a 4–0 week, with all of Washington's wins coming on the road. He paced the East in scoring (29.8 ppg) and assists (11.3 apg) while adding 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. On March 17, he set a new career high with 20 assists to go with 14 points in a 112–107 win over the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
. On April 2, Wall had 15 points and 11 assists in a 139–115 loss to Golden State. As a result, he set the single-season franchise assists record with No. 802 in the third quarter, topping
Rod Strickland Rodney Strickland (born July 11, 1966) is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. He is currently the head coach at Long Island University. Prior to LIU, he served as the program manager for the NBA G League's profe ...
's 1997–98 record of 801. On April 16, Wall scored a playoff career-high 32 points in a 114–107 win over the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
in Game 1 of their first-round series. In Game 6 of the series on April 28, Wall set a new playoff career with 42 points to help the Wizards eliminate the Hawks with a 115–99 victory, capturing the opening-round series 4–2. On May 12, he helped the Wizards avoid elimination and force a Game 7 in their second-round series against the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left in Game 6, lifting the Wizards to a 92–91 win. He finished the game with 26 points. The Wizards went on to lose Game 7 despite Wall's 18 points and 11 assists, as they bowed out of the playoffs with a 4–3 defeat.


Dealing with injuries (2017–2020)

On July 26, 2017, Wall signed a four-year, $170 million contract extension with the Wizards. Wall missed nine games in late November and early December with a knee injury; the Wizards went 4–5 in that time. On January 6, he recorded 16 points and a season-high 16 assists against the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
. On January 12, he scored 30 points in a 125–119 win over the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
, becoming the youngest player (27 years, 128 days) in franchise history to reach 10,000 points for his career. The next day, he scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and overtime, and tied a season high with 16 assists in the Wizards' 119–113 victory over the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...
. On January 30, 2018, he was sidelined for the next six-to-eight weeks due to his troublesome left knee requiring surgery. He missed two months with the injury, returning to action on March 31 against the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and p ...
and recording 15 points and 14 assists in a 107–93 win. On April 10, he recorded 29 points and 12 assists in a 113–101 win over the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, thus surpassing 5,000 career assists. In Game 3 of the Wizards' first-round playoff series against the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
, Wall recorded 28 points and 14 assists, as the Wizards cut the series deficit to 2–1 with a 122–103 win. In Game 4, Wall recorded 27 points and 14 assists in a 106–98 win, helping the Wizards tie the series at 2–2. The Wizards went on to lose the series in six games despite Wall's 23 points and eight assists in a 102–92 loss in Game 6. On November 26, 2018, in a 135–131 overtime win over the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
, Wall passed
Wes Unseld Westley Sissel Unseld Sr. (March 14, 1946June 2, 2020) was an American professional basketball player, coach and executive. He spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets. Unseld ...
for third place on the franchise career scoring list. On December 16, he recorded 40 points and 14 assists in a 128–110 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
. On December 29, he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a left heel injury. After initially undergoing season-ending surgery on his left heel in January 2019, Wall developed an infection in the incision from that surgery, then suffered a ruptured left
Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...
when he slipped and fell in his home. He was subsequently ruled out for 12 months. On March 11, 2020, the 2019–20 NBA season was suspended as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Despite the season resuming in July at the NBA Bubble in
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
, which exceeded Wall's 12-month timetable of recovery, he did not travel with the Wizards, officially ending his season.


Houston Rockets (2020–2022)

On December 2, 2020, Wall, along with a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick, were traded to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
for
Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and e ...
. On March 22, 2021, Wall logged his eighth career triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 117–99 win over the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
, ending the team's 20-game losing streak. It was his first triple-double since 2016. On April 26, Wall was ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a grade 2 hamstring strain. In 2021–22, Wall and the Rockets reached a mutual decision for him not to play, as the team was rebuilding and developing young guards Kevin Porter Jr. and
Jalen Green Jalen Romande Green (born February 9, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the third player in the NBA of Filipino descent, following Jordan Clarkson and ...
. On June 28, 2022, Wall and the Rockets reached a contract buyout agreement.


Los Angeles Clippers (2022–present)

On July 8, 2022, Wall signed with the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clippe ...
. Wall made his preseason debut with the Clippers on October 3, putting up five points, one rebound, and three assists in a 102–97 win over the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western C ...
. He made his regular season debut with the Clippers on October 20, where he put up fifteen points, four rebounds, and three assists in a 103–97 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
.


National team career

In July 2014, Wall was selected as a member of the United States camp roster to compete for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup team. Due to off-season knee surgery, Wall withdrew his name from consideration for USA Basketball's 2016 Rio Olympics team.


Player profile

Wall is known for being one of the NBA's fastest players. His results at the draft combine of 10.84 seconds in the lane agility drill (combine best that year) and 3.14 seconds in the 3/4 court sprint (second-best that year), demonstrating horizontal and vertical quickness. Despite only being a point guard-average listed height in shoes and barefoot, Wall has a wingspan, slightly larger than the average for a point guard. Relying on his speed, Wall focuses on driving to the basket and sparking fast transition play. He is also a skilled passer, averaging over 10 assists a game for the 2014 through 2017 seasons, and 9.2 overall for his career. In the earlier stages of his time in the NBA, Wall was criticized for the amount of turnovers he committed, being dubbed "very turnover prone". While increasing his assist to turnover ratio in later years, Wall's TOPG has increased to 4.1, his mark at the conclusion of the 2017 season. Despite Wall's shooting percentages hovering slightly below league average except for
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
shooting (League average is .458/.364/.765 while Wall shoots .433/.321/.790), he has seen his shooting largely improve throughout his NBA career.


Personal life

In 2013, after signing a five-year contract with the Wizards, Wall purchased a home in Potomac for $4.9 million. The two-acre property, which has eight bedrooms, six garages, and 17,980 square feet, was selected to accommodate Wall's mother, siblings, and guests. In 2016, Wall received the Stewart B. McKinney Award for his work to end homelessness after he donated $400,000 to Bright Beginnings. Wall signed a five-year endorsement deal worth $25 million with
Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
in 2010, then moved to Reebok's
parent company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
in 2013. He signed another five-year deal with Adidas in 2018. In May 2017, Wall signed on as a brand ambassador for New Era caps. Wall and his wife have one son. Wall said in 2018 that he was pursuing a bachelor's degree in business administration. Wall's mother, Frances Pulley, died of breast cancer on December 13, 2019. Wall apologized via
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
in September 2020 after a video surfaced on social media of him using
Bloods The Bloods are a primarily African-American street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. It is identified by the red color worn by its members and by particular gang symbols, includin ...
gang signs and displaying a red bandana to the camera.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 69 , , 64 , , 37.8 , , .409 , , .296 , , .766 , , 4.6 , , 8.3 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , 16.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 66 , , 66 , , 36.2 , , .423 , , .071 , , .789 , , 4.5 , , 8.0 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , 16.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 49 , , 42 , , 32.7 , , .441 , , .267 , , .804 , , 4.0 , , 7.6 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , 18.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 82 , , 82 , , 36.3 , , .433 , , .351 , , .805 , , 4.1 , , 8.8 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , 19.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 79 , , 79 , , 35.9 , , .445 , , .300 , , .785 , , 4.6 , , 10.0 , , 1.7 , , .6 , , 17.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 77 , , 77 , , 36.2 , , .424 , , .351 , , .791 , , 4.9 , , 10.2 , , 1.9 , , .8 , , 19.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 78 , , 78 , , 36.4 , , .451 , , .327 , , .801 , , 4.2 , , 10.7 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , 23.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 41 , , 41 , , 34.4 , , .420 , , .371 , , .726 , , 3.7 , , 9.6 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 32 , , 32 , , 34.5 , , .444 , , .302 , , .697 , , 3.6 , , 8.7 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , 20.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...
, 40 , , 40 , , 32.2 , , .404 , , .317 , , .749 , , 3.2 , , 6.9 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , 20.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 613 , , 601 , , 35.6 , , .431 , , .323 , , .779 , , 4.3 , , 9.1 , , 1.7 , , .7 , , 19.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 4 , , 1 , , 21.2 , , .612 , , .333 , , 1.000 , , 4.2 , , 4.5 , , 2.2 , , .0 , , 16.2


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
, style="text-align:left;", Washington , 11 , , 11 , , 38.2 , , .366 , , .219 , , .765 , , 4.0 , , 7.1 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , 16.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, style="text-align:left;", Washington , 7 , , 7 , , 39.0 , , .391 , , .176 , , .846 , , 4.7 , , 11.9 , , 1.4 , , 1.4 , , 17.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, style="text-align:left;", Washington , 13 , , 13 , , 39.0 , , .452 , , .344 , , .839 , , 3.7 , , 10.3 , , 1.7 , , 1.2 , , 27.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, style="text-align:left;", Washington , 6 , , 6 , , 39.0 , , .441 , , .190 , , .851 , , 5.7 , , 11.5 , , 2.3 , , 1.3 , , 26.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 37 , , 37 , , 38.8 , , .419 , , .267 , , .822 , , 4.3 , , 9.8 , , 1.7 , , 1.1 , , 21.9


College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;",
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgin ...
, 37 , , 37 , , 34.8 , , .461 , , .325 , , .754 , , 4.3 , , 6.5 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , 16.6


Awards and honors

;NBA * 5×
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of a ...
: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 *
All-NBA Third Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
: 2017 *
NBA All-Defensive Second Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...
: 2015 *
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...
: 2011 ;College * SEC Player of the Year * All-SEC First Team * SEC All-Freshman Team * SEC All-Tournament MVP * SEC All-Tournament Team * NABC Division I All-District 21 First Team * NABC Division I All-America First Team * USBWA All-America Freshman of the Year * USBWA All-America First Team * USBWA All-District IV Player of the Year * USBWA All-District IV Team * AP NCAA All-America First Team * AP NCAA All-America Co-Freshman of the Year * Sporting News NCAA All-America First Team


See also

*
List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game This is a complete listing of National Basketball Association players who have recorded nine or more steals in a game. 52 players have recorded nine or more steals in a game. It has occurred 72 times in NBA history. Allen Iverson is the only pla ...


References


External links


Kentucky Wildcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wall, John 1990 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Raleigh, North Carolina Garner Magnet High School alumni Houston Rockets players Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Los Angeles Clippers players National Basketball Association All-Stars Needham B. Broughton High School alumni Point guards Washington Wizards draft picks Washington Wizards players Word of God Christian Academy alumni