Wizards Legend John Wall Has Called It A Career And Officially Retires From Basketball

Ned Dishman. Getty Images.

While we haven't seen John Wall on an NBA court since the 34 games he played in 2022-23 as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, things are now official when it comes to his retirement from the game of basketball. For me, he's easily one of the most obvious "what if" players of this current era, given how his career turned out once the injuries started to pile up. When Wall was at the height of his powers (2013-2017), he was basically an iron man. The dude never missed games. He had a run of 82, 79, 77, and 78 games played during that stretch which resulted in 5x All Star nods, an All NBA 3rd team, and an All NBA Defensive team selection. The dude was one of the best guards not just in the East, but the entire NBA

That 2017 second round series between Wall/Isaiah Thomas was must watch stuff, and I think that's how I would describe Wall as a player. When he was healthy, he was the definition of must watch, at least to me. Fast as hell, athletic as hell, there were times where he truly felt unstoppable, and he did it all while not even really being that great of a 3pt shooter. He didn't take many (around 3 for his career), and only shot 32%, yet he was still super effective at getting to the rim/midrange. If he got out in transition, good luck.

Sadly, following that 2016-17 season, Wall never played more than 41 games in a season again. He missed an entire season due to injury in 2019-20, then he got traded to the Rockets which went OK to start but ended with them basically telling him to stay home during the 2021-22 season, and after that stint with the Clippers in 2022-23, that was it. 

And while he never won a title, that doesn't mean he's not one of the best Wizards ever and one of the better players of his era (pre-injury). I think we as fans get so caught up in RINGZ culture that if you're someone who never reached the top of the mountain, it means you weren't that good, but I would argue the Wall Era in DC was one of the most successful runs in their modern-day history. Shit, maybe even since their Bullets days of the late 70s (won the title in 1977-78). They went from winning in the 20s pre-John Wall to comfortably winning in the 40s during that run. That's not nothing. 

I look at Wall's career sort of like how I look at Brandon Roy's with the Blazers. When he was healhy? The guy was an absolute problem. Unfortunately, injuries robbed us of what truly could have been. That's how the cookie crumbles sometimes and why injuries truly are the worst. 

Now that he's officially retired, the next question naturally moves to is John Wall a Hall Of Famer? Basketball Reference has him at a 32% chance, and I'm afraid that's going to have to be a no from me. A good player, but the resume isn't quite there. He can make the Hall of Very Good and be considered a Wizards Legend, but personally, that's where I would draw the line.