John Hildred Wall Jr is one of the fastest modern NBA players. He is renowned for his scoring ability as well as being one of the top-notch passers in the league. His gameplay made him a five-time All-Star. Now, he is a veteran guard for the Houston Rockets. But his road to success was full of obstacles. He had to overcome a lot of roadblocks, one of them being his own character and the demons he had to fight.
John Wall – Early Life
John Wall was born on September 6, 1990, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to a very troubled family. His mother, Frances Pulley, had to work multiple jobs to support the family, as his father, John Carol Wall Sr was a repeat offender, previously serving time for second-degree murder.
When little John was only one year old, his father went back to jail for armed robbery. When he got out, he died of liver cancer, so John hadn’t had much time with his father. John’s older half-brother was supposed to take care of the family, but his words were empty promises, as he also ended up in jail.
John Wall was a very rebellious teenager, which is not surprising considering the environment in which he grew up. In middle school, he fought with other children and was cited for breaking as a teenager. The only thing that kept him grounded was basketball.
John Wall – High School
Wall attended Garner Magnet High School in his first two years of high school basketball, playing for the school until he transferred to Needham B. Broughton High School in Raleigh. In Needham, Wall had to repeat his sophomore year. He was a great prospect but he was dropped from the school’s varsity team.
His biggest enemy was his attitude. To start fresh, he transferred to Word of God Christian Academy where he found guidance in coach Levi Beckwith. Beckwith helped Wall by working on his behavior as well as gameplay.
He improved so much that he was invited to Reebok All-American Camp and was noticed for scoring 28 points against a dangerous opponent, a team that was starring Brandon Jennings. In 2008, John Wall became Elite 24 Hoops Classic co-MVP along with Dominic Cheek, Maalik Wayns, and Lance Stephenson, for scoring points.
At the conclusion of his senior year, Wall was ranked one of the best high school players in the class of 2009. He helped his team, Holy Rams, to the North Carolina Class 1A state championship game, where he scored 11 points. Later, he scored 13 points, 11 assists and 5 steals in the 2009 Nike Hoop Summit and was named to the Jordan Brand Classic competition, where he posted 6 assists.
What college did John Wall go to?
As a five-star recruit, Wall had a choice to make when it came to college. He chose the University of Kentucky, where he was suspended for two games for receiving travel benefits, from AAU coach Brian Clifton, who was a certified agent during that time.
Wall debuted as point guard for Kentucky’s Wildcat in an exhibition game, where he helped his team to win with 27 points and 9 assists in only 28 minutes of play. Later, it was clear that this freshman had true star power, as made a game-winning shot with .5 seconds left in his collegiate debut. During his freshman season, he set a single-game assist record by having 16 assists with only one turnover. For his achievements, he was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame.
Wall was said to enter the 2009 NBA draft, because of him being a fifth-year high school senior, and being 19 years old. He chose not to participate in 2009 despite being considered the 1rst overall draft pick.
John Wall – Washington Wizards
In 2010 Wall finally entered the NBA Draft. He was a great prospect, noticed not only by teams’ general managers but also by big companies. First, he signed with agent Dan Fegan who helped him gain the Reebok deal. John Wall became the face of the latest basketball shoes, ZigTech Slash. As it was expected, Wall was the first overall draft pick by the Wizards and made his NBA debut.
The start of the professional career was very promising, as Wall was selected Most Valuable Player of the Las Vegas Summer League in 2010. In his rookie year with the Wizards, Wall recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. He also made 6 steals in this game as he went down in NBA history as the third-youngest player with a triple-double. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month from January to April, and became 2011 Rookie Game MVP.
The next season, John Wall started all of the 66 games of the lockout-shortened season and averaged 16.3 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game and was selected to play in the NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge.
John Wall – the Start of 2012-13
Basketball is a game with an extreme risk of injury and Wall didn’t manage to avoid it. He returned in January of 2012 and quickly regained his strength, becoming Eastern Conference Player of the Week, for the week between March 11 and March 17.
The rest of the season was full of NBA career highs like 16 assists in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 22. Just three days later, he scored career-high 47 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists and helped the Wizards to win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
John Wall – All-Star Selection
For the 2013-14 season, Wall signed a blockbuster deal with the Wizards, which would earn him 80 million dollars during the next five years. This season, Wall posted his second triple-double, recording 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was selected as an East Conference reserve for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game and during the All-Star Weekend, he participated in the Slam Dunk Contest. He won the contest with an outstanding performance which included the Wizards’ mascot.
The regular season concluded with Wall averaging 19.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game, and the Wizards qualified for the first time in six years, where they won over the Chicago Bulls but were beaten by the Indiana Pacers.
The 2014-15 season was very emotional for John Wall because his close friend was battling cancer and sadly passed away. He dedicated his spectacular performance to her, scoring 26 points, having career-high 17 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals. He was named to the 2015 All-Star Game starting squad. The Wizards made the playoffs again where they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round in six games.
The first 14 games of the 2015-16 season didn’t start promising, as John Wall averaged 16.1 which was his worst scoring average but the ties turned when he recorded back-to-back 30-points and 10-assists games for the first time. Later in December, Wall had his career-high 19 assists and recorded a seventh straight double-double. For his December accomplishments, he earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors. On March 16, he made his third triple-double of the season, and the sixth in his career just to top it a day after with a consecutive triple-double.
Before the 2016-17 season, Wall had to undergo surgery on both his knees, which limited his playing time from the start. I didn’t stop him from breaking the franchise record for a number of assists. When the restrictions were lifted, he scored a career-high 52 points in a loss to the Orlando Magic and surpassed the record for steals made by a Wizard. Again, he gained the Player of the Week Honours, for the games played from December 26 to January 1, as well as Player of the Month. He again became Eastern Conference reserve for the All-Star Game.
On March 17, he broke his own record, posting 20 assists in a win against the Chicago Bulls. Wizards also made the playoffs this year, where Wall posted 42 points, establishing his new playoff career-high. This score helped them eliminate the Atlanta Hawks, and they went on to face the Boston Celtics. In Game 6, Wall hit a game-winning three-pointer which made the Wizards go to game 7, which they ultimately lost.
John Wall – Contract Extension
The Wizards gave John Wall a 170 million contract extension. Sadly, his broken knees were failing again and he had to sit out some games in late November, early December. As always, he came back stronger and became the youngest player in franchise history to amass 10000 career points. At the end of January, his knees were injured again and he underwent surgery which left him out of the game until March. After the recovery, he helped lead his team to the playoffs, where they were beaten by the Toronto Raptors in six games.
What is John Wall famous for?
John Wall is mainly known for his five all-star team appearances and an All-NBA team in 2017. However, he’s not only recognized for his accolades. His horrible bout of injuries in 2019 put him out of play for more than two years.
Who is tattooed on John Walls neck?
John Wall’s neck tattoo depicts his mother. He had that tattoo done to honor her as she was battling with cancer. Wall’s mother, Frances Pulley, passed away in 2019.
