For John Wall, returning to Washington, DC, for the first time since the Wizards changed him at the Houston Rockets, brought with it standard emotions, but it also brought something else: closure.
“I think I talked to The Athletic about what I wanted to get out of my chest and let the past be the past,” Wall said after losing 131-119 months to the Wizards. “Besides, I’m not really talking about being with wizards or anything.”
Wall referred to an interview he did before his return game, in which he said he felt the lack of honesty and transparency from the wizards’ main office that led to the trade that sent him to Houston in December in exchange for Russell Westbrook. .
Wall said his memories of his time in Washington will focus more on his involvement in the community, where he has been a program in several different programs.
“I have great things that I have done that I want to continue to do and I remember doing that, since I was with Miyah [a 6-year-old girl Wall befriended who died of cancer in 2015], Brilliant beginnings, my school adopted from Ketcham Elementary. Fifth graders know I have an agreement with them, I want to continue, “he said.” I won [NBA] Community Assist Award helping DC
“These are the things I’m going to keep talking about, but anything with wizards or how trade has gone down or something, that article was the last time I talked about it. I’ve been through this and I’m moving forward with my new franchise. “
The Wizards presented a tribute video in the first half, recognizing Wall and his 10 years in the franchise, especially his work in the DC community. But without fans in the building, it didn’t have the same weight that a typical return game would normally have – especially for a favorite fan like Wall.
“It was difficult. I played for the fans; I played for the city,” Wall said. “I’m an emotional and passionate person. I’ve been here for 10 years. I wanted to see those guys and see them here to support me.
“It was definitely hard for me to want to have my first game in DC, having my mom in the stands,” Wall said of his late mother, Frances Pulley. “She was there with me for everything and knowing she wasn’t here was difficult. She had probably been in row 10, section G – or first of all, if she felt healthy. I didn’t get a chance to have that, but I know I she’s watching and she’s very proud of me for the comeback I had. But it would have been stupid to see her there. “
Wall scored 29 points to go along with 11 assists in 35 minutes, but with key Houston players (Christian Wood, Victor Oladipo, PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon), the Wizards moved away in the second half to hand the Rockets the sixth straight loss.
It was the second time Wall had played against his former team, which diluted some of the emotions, he said.
“It was great, really. I wasn’t too worried about it. I’ve already played them once,” he said. “I think it would have been different if the fans were there, but the fans wouldn’t have been there. It was good to compete and see some of the guys I’m messing with. That was it.”
Despite the absence of fans, Wall said it was nice to see familiar faces in the arena, but lamented the missing ones.
“I know a few people in this arena today who have been supporting me since I was a 10-year-old who I didn’t get a chance to see because they were fired because of the pandemic,” Wall said. “I wish them all the best. I know they played an important role in becoming a young boy of a mature man.
“If I get the chance to come back next year and they’re fans, I definitely want to bring those people to the stands. So I’ll be looking forward to buying a lot of tickets for the people who took care of me and helped me grow to who they are today and let them know that I have not forgotten about them “.
Wall made the energy go early, playing an electric first half and punctuating it with a signature, rising with his left hand, which ended with a loud scream. Wall scored 22 of his 29 in the first half, but due to the offensive load that fell almost entirely on him, the Rockets failed to keep up with the firepower of the wizards.
Bradley Beal scored 37 in 14-of-24 for Washington, while Westbrook added another triple-double to the cards: 16 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists.
“We’re going for it. We’re competing. We’re keeping each other, we’re pushing each other,” Beal said of his former teammate Wall. “Even tonight, we push each other, we tell each other to be better, we guard each other. It’s just competitive. Just who we are; that’s our nature. I think that kind of pushed us to be who we are, who we are both today and it is a beautiful thing.
“So I’m definitely looking forward to competing against him for the rest of my career, no matter how crazy that may sound.”
At several points during the contest, Wall spoke and laughed with Beal. The two built a bond behind the field, growing together and developing their partnership to become both All-Star level guards.
“I think she’s hugging him. She’s happy,” Wall said of Beal. “I think he wants to be on the other side of the fact that he will be there with me, because of the hard work and dedication I have put in over the last two years.”
Wall missed all last season due to the rupture of the Achilles tendon suffered in February 2019, which left many wondering what kind of player he would be when he returns. It was a determining factor in exchange for Westbrook, Wall’s strong contract and his health concerns facing his future.
But the 30-year-old guard returned to a high level, averaging 19.5 points and 5.9 assists per game for the Rockets. Asked if he liked to show what else he could do and what he could do with wizards, Wall was short and to the point.
“Yes. They see it,” he said. “They’ve seen her all season.”