On a cool October night in 2010, Washington DC was electric. The Wizards were still trying to wash off the stink from the Gilbert Arenas era’s chaotic collapse. But that night wasn’t about the past. It was about the future. And the future, back then, had a name.
John Wall.
And an intro.
The camera panned down the tunnel. Smoke billowed. Fans leaned over the railing with wide eyes and stretched arms. And out came Wall, baggy jersey swaying, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, gliding onto the floor to “Do the John Wall,” a dance made viral off a Kentucky mixtape. He hit the Dougie once. Then again. And the arena went absolutely bonkers.
For one split second, the Wizards had hope.
For a few years, they had a lot more than that.
But today, John Wall is remembered more for what didn’t happen than what did. Injuries, locker room politics, and the cruel randomness of time robbed the league of what couldve been a generational point guard. This is the story of John Wall, the dawg on Wall Street who couldve owned the market if the system hadn’t crashed on him.
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Humble Roots with Superhuman Speed
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Johnathan Hildred Wall Jr. didn’t have it easy. His father was in and out of prison and passed away from liver cancer when John was just 9. Wall bounced around homes, endured trauma, and had to grow up too fast. That hardship bled into his game. Tough, mean, fast, with a chip that looked like a boulder.
At Word of God Christian Academy, Wall turned into a mixtape legend. He didn’t just beat defenders. He murdered them. Crossovers so violent you could hear sneakers squeal from miles away. Fastbreaks where he looked like a roadrunner on crack. At Kentucky, under John Calipari, Wall became the top dog in the SEC and led a star studded squad with DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson. He wasn’t just talented. He was box office.
When the Wizards won the lottery in 2010, Wall was the obvious pick. He was supposed to be the savior. He was supposed to be the one.
And for a while, he was.
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The Prime We Got And It Was Still Nasty
Let’s get one thing straight. John Wall was really freaking good.
From 2014 to 2018, he averaged: • 19.9 PPG • 9.9 APG • 4.3 RPG • 1.8 SPG
He was a five time All Star, the league’s fastest end to end player, and had the handles of a Harlem point guard mixed with the vision of Chris Paul’s cousin. He wasn’t a knockdown shooter, sure, but he didn’t need to be. When he hit his first gear, nobody could stay in front of him. Not Westbrook, not Lillard, not Kyrie, not even peak LeBron in transition.
People sleep on how good Wall really was defensively too. He was a pest. Quick hands. Strong base. Anticipation like a chess master. He was once second in the league in total steals while leading the East in assists.
In the 2017 Playoffs, he mightve been the second best player in the Eastern Conference behind LeBron. That Wizards Celtics series? Classic. Game 6 in DC? Iconic. Down 2, with seconds left, Wall pulled up from the top of the key and buried a three in Avery Bradley’s face, then leaped on the scorer’s table like he was prime D Wade.
Dawg.
That moment shouldve catapulted him into superstardom. Instead, it ended up being the peak.
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The Fall One Injury After Another
Wall’s body betrayed him. First it was his knees. Then bone spurs. Then heel surgery. Then the injury.
In 2019, Wall tore his Achilles at home.
Yeah. At home. He slipped and fell in his house. Just like that, his career, his explosiveness, his confidence, his future, took a hit it never really recovered from.
It was cruel. Unfair. Stupid. Just dumb luck.
From 2018 through 2022, Wall played just 82 total games. That’s one full season spread across four years.
He came back with Houston in 2021 and actually put up decent numbers — 20.6 points, 6.9 assists — but the Rockets were tanking, and Wall didn’t fit their timeline. Then came a short Clippers stint. A buyout. And silence.
He hasn’t officially retired yet. But the league has moved on.
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So What Couldve Been Let’s Go There
Let’s paint a perfect world. Let’s imagine John Wall never got hurt. Not the knees. Not the heel. Not the Achilles. Let’s give him good coaching, a stable franchise, and a healthy supporting cast.
What happens?
MVP Consideration in 2017 2018
If Wall doesn’t get hurt after that Celtics series, he enters 2018 as the leader of an ascending East squad with momentum. LeBron is aging. Kyrie and Hayward are hurt in Boston. Toronto is still Toronto.
Wall keeps cooking. He averages something like 23 PPG and 11 APG with elite defense. The Wizards win 52 games. He finishes top 5 in MVP voting behind Harden, LeBron, and Durant.
The narrative is finally on his side.
2019 Eastern Conference Finals Berth
Let’s say Beal keeps developing. Otto Porter becomes an elite 3 and D guy. Maybe the Wizards trade for a piece at the deadline. Someone like Paul Millsap or Brook Lopez.
In this scenario, Washington finally breaks through. They beat Toronto in the second round. They face a depleted Celtics team. They reach the Eastern Conference Finals against LeBron’s Cavs.
It’s a war. They lose in 6. But Wall puts up 26 and 10 a night. His Q rating explodes.
2020 to 2023 The Wall and Beal Era Reaches Its Peak
Now in his early 30s, Wall finally figures out the jumper. Not Steph levels, but enough to punish drop coverage. He becomes a 35 percent three point shooter on decent volume.
Meanwhile, the NBA shifts. Durant leaves Golden State. LeBron goes West. The East becomes wide open.
The Wizards, with a few smart trades and healthy seasons, become contenders. Legit ones. Wall earns another All NBA nod. He’s a household name again.
In this universe, he makes the 75th Anniversary Team. No question.
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The Personality Love It or Hate It It Was Real
John Wall wasn’t polished. He wasn’t political. He was raw. Loud. Flawed. Emotional.
Some hated that. Others loved it.
He feuded with teammates. Took heat for throwing gang signs in photos. Danced during intros when his team was 30 and 52. Showed up late to team meetings. Called himself the best two way point guard in the league.
But he also handed out turkeys on Thanksgiving. He cried during a postgame interview after the death of a young fan, Miyah. He gave back to DC in ways that don’t make headlines.
He was a dawg. The realest kind. And that counts for something.
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Legacy Complicated But Not Forgotten
John Wall won’t make the Hall of Fame unless they start handing out plaques for what couldve been. His stats are good. 11000 plus points, 5000 plus assists. But not historic. His resume isn’t loaded with rings or All NBA First Teams.
But to a generation of hoopers, Wall was the blueprint.
To mixtape kids? He was a god. To Kentucky fans? A legend. To DC fans? A savior, at least for a while. To opposing guards? A problem.
His style influenced the game. His speed set a new bar. His vision changed what we expected from fast break point guards.
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Epilogue A Wall Still Standing
In 2023, Wall opened up about his depression, even admitting he considered suicide during his recovery. That moment, more than any dunk, dime, or dance, showed the world who John Wall really was.
A survivor.
A fighter.
Still standing, still smiling, still John Wall.
He may never play another minute in the NBA. But make no mistake. Wall made an impact. He left a mark. He was almost great.
And sometimes, almost is more powerful than actually getting there. Because it leaves you wondering.
What if?
What if his heel didn’t give out? What if the Wizards had made one better trade? What if Wall played his whole career in the social media age, where personality equals profit?
He couldve been a face of the league. A Finals MVP. A top 5 PG all time.
Instead, he’s something else.
A cautionary tale. And a cult legend.
The dawg on Wall Street.
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