Former All-Star point guard John Wall has his fingers crossed that an NBA opportunity will knock on his door again.
In an interview with Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, the job continues for Wall as he has been regularly working out in the University of Miami to maintain his shape, hoping to potentially nail a chance to return to the Association.
“It’d mean the world,” Wall said. “You want to go out on your own terms. I want to finish it the way I want. If I play my last game, I want to walk off the court my way.”
After his last NBA leg in 2022-23 for 34 games with the L.A. Clippers, Wall still maintained his basketball ties off the court. Last weekend, he embraced his broadcasting debut by covering a pair of G League games in Orlando.
But deep down in his heart, he remains determined to return and play under the bright lights of the Association.
Wall, 34, was once a primetime superstar in the NBA. The top overall pick of the 2010 Draft, he was renowned for his lightning speed play and superb skill set as an elite floor general.
The former Kentucky sensation achieved success as the franchise cornerstone of the Washington Wizards, leading the entire team to four playoff appearances across nine seasons. During his prime days, Wall clinched five All-Star selections and an All-NBA nod in 2016-17.
Amid his meteoric rise, Wall saw an unfortunate turn of events in his career upon sustaining an Achilles tendon tear in 2019. This went on to completely bother his upward trajectory as he was never the same again.
Upon sitting out for the entire 2019-20 season to recover, Wall was dealt to the Houston Rockets and was stuck in the team’s rebuilding situation. After coming out with a buyout with them in 2022, he joined the Clippers but still failed to maintain his stay in the NBA despite multiple private workouts from the past.
Although there are plenty of obstacles on his way to an NBA comeback like his age and competition, Wall still deserves plenty of credit for continuing the grind and never losing that desire to continue pushing through.
As such, there might be plenty of teams that can still utilize him whether as a back-up guard or a locker room veteran. As an ex-star, he holds a deep knowledge of the game and a rich experience that can be vital for his teammates.
He might be unsatisfied about how his career panned out due to unfortunate injuries, but Wall can still walk away from the sport without worries as he already secured the life he wants for himself and his family with an estimated NBA career earnings of over $286 million in 11 years.
The future stands uncertain if Wall will still clinch that coveted dream of playing again in the NBA, but we can only hope that he’ll eventually find peace and happiness within himself at the end of the day.
Related Posts
