For John Wall, returning to Washington, DC, for the first time since the Wizards traded him to the Houston Rockets, brought standard emotions, but it also brought something else: closure.
“I think I talked to Athletic about what I wanted to get out of my chest and let the past be the past,” Wall said after Monday’s 131-119 defeat to the Wizards. “Other than that, I’m not really talking about being with magicians or anything.”
Wall was referring to an interview he did before his return match, in which he said he felt a lack of honesty and transparency on the part of the magicians’ main office leading to the trade that sent him to Houston in December in return. by Russell Westbrook.
Wall said his memories of his time in Washington will focus more on his involvement in the community, where he was a fixture on several different programs.
“I have great things I did that I want to keep doing and I remember what I did, from being with Miyah [a 6-year-old girl Wall befriended who died of cancer in 2015], Bright Beginnings, my adopted Ketcham Primary School. Fifth graders know I have an agreement with them and I want to continue, “he said.” I won the [NBA] DC Assistant Community Assistant Award
“These are the things I’ll keep talking about, but anything with the magicians or how the trade fell or anything like that, this article was the last time I’d talk about it. Go ahead with my new franchise.”
The Wizards showed a tribute video to the first half acknowledging Wall and his ten years with the franchise, particularly his work in the DC area community. But without fans in the building, it didn’t have the same kind of weight that a typical return game would normally have, especially for a favorite fan like Wall.
“It was tough. I played for the fans; I played for the city,” Wall said. “I’m an emotional and passionate person. I’ve been for 10 years. I wanted to see those guys and see them here to support me.
“It was definitely hard to want to have my first game in DC again with my mom in the stands,” Wall said of his late mother, Frances Pulley. “She’s been there with me for everything, and knowing she wasn’t here was hard. She’d probably been in row 10, section G, or in the front row, if she felt healthy. I didn’t get a chance to have that, but I know she’s watching me and she’s very proud of me on the return I had. But it would have been normal to see her there. “
Wall scored 29 points to end 11 assists in 35 minutes, but with key Houston players (Christian Wood, Victor Oladipo, PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon), the Wizards retired in the second half to give the Rockets their sixth consecutive defeat.
It was the second time Wall had played against his former team, which diluted some emotions, he said.
“It was great, really. I didn’t worry too much. We already played them once,” he said. “I think it would have been different if the fans were there, but the fans weren’t there. It was good to compete and see some of the guys I messed with. That was all.”
Although he had no fans, Wall said it was nice to see familiar faces in the sand, but lamented the missing ones.
“I know a couple of people in this area today who have supported me since my childhood for ten years that I didn’t get a chance to see because they were fired by the pandemic,” Wall said. “I wish them all the best. I know they played an important role in my transformation into a little boy to an old man.
“If I get a chance when I come back next year and there are fans, I definitely want to get people in the stands. So I’ll be looking forward to buying a lot of tickets for people who watched and helped me grow who I am. today and let them know I haven’t forgotten. “
Wall made the energy go away quickly, playing an electric first part and punctuating it with a signature, rising to his back which ended in a loud scream. Wall scored 22 of his 29 in the first half, but with the offensive load falling almost entirely on him, the Rockets couldn’t keep up with the Magicians ’firepower.
Bradley Beal scored 37 in the 14-of-24 shot against Washington, while Westbrook added another triple-double to the books: 16 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists.
“We’re going there. We’re competing. We’re guarding, we’re pushing,” Beal said of his former teammate Wall. “Even tonight we’re pushing ourselves, telling ourselves to be better, watching each other. It’s just competitive. That’s what we are; that’s our nature. I think that’s what pushed us to be who we are, who we both are today, and it’s a beautiful thing.
“So I’m really looking forward to competing against him for the rest of my career, no matter how crazy it may seem.”
At various points in the contest, Wall spoke and laughed with Beal. The two had built a route link, growing together and developing their partnership to become All-Star level guards.
“I think he’s adopting it. He’s enjoying it,” Wall said of Beal. “I think he would like to be on the other side of being there with me, because of the work and dedication we’ve done over the last two years.”
Wall was lost all last season due to the rupture of the Achilles tendon he suffered in February 2019, which left many wondering what the player would be when he returned. It was a driving force in the exchange for Westbrook, with Wall’s strong contract and his health concerns about his future.
But the 30-year-old goalie has returned to a high level, averaging 19.5 points and 5.9 assists per game for the Rockets. When asked if he liked to show what he can still do and what he could have done with the Wizards, Wall was short and to the point.
“Yes. They see it,” he said. “They’ve seen it all season.”