One of the defining basketball players of the 2010s — and one whose NBA tenure was significantly shortened due to injury — is calling it a career.
John Wall announced his retirement from professional basketball in a video posted to his Instagram page on Tuesday morning, writing that he is “Retired but never done. Doing it the #WallWay.”
Wall, who will be most remembered for his time with the Washington Wizards, also played for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers over the course of his 11-year career in the league.
Wall was a decorated superstar during the early years of his career
Wall entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft after a brief, but decorated, one-year college basketball career. During his freshman season at Kentucky, he was not only the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s National Freshman of the Year, but also the SEC Player of the Year, the winner of the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy (previously given each year to the top player in college basketball) and a consensus first-team All-American.
As Wall approached his prime, he transitioned the Wizards from a franchise that finished seasons near the bottom of the Eastern Conference to one that was a consistent postseason contender. The Wizards made the postseason four times in a five-year span from 2013-2018, reaching the conference semifinals three times but falling short of advancing in each series.
The rest of his career, though, would be defined by injuries. Just before midway through the 2018-19 campaign, Wall was forced to miss the rest of the season due to a heal injury before later rupturing his left Achilles tendon after falling in his home. The latter injury kept him out for the entirety of the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.
After being acquired in a trade with the Rockets, Wall suffered a season-ending hamstring strain 40 games into his return during the 2021-22 season. He then did not appear in a game for the Rockets in the 2022-23 as the franchise looked to give playing time to younger guards who would be part of the team’s rebuild.
Wall — a five-time All-Star, one-time selection to the All-NBA Third Team and 2014 Slam Dunk Contest champion — appeared in 647 career regular-season games. He averaged 18.7 points, 8.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game in those contests.
