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For John Wall, returning to Washington, DC for the first time since the Wizards traded him to the Houston Rockets brought with him standard emotions, but it also brought something else: shutdown.
“I think I spoke with The Athletic about what I wanted to take off my chest and let the past be the past,” Wall said after the 131-119 loss to the Wizards on Monday. “Other than that, I’m not really talking about being with wizards or anything anymore.”
Wall was referring to an interview he did prior to his comeback game in which he said he felt a lack of honesty and transparency from the Wizards front office leading up to the exchange that had him. sent to Houston in December in exchange for Russell Westbrook.
Wall said his memories of his time in Washington will focus more on his involvement in the community, where he was present in several different programs.
“I did some great things that I want to keep doing and I remember doing, being with Miyah [a 6-year-old girl Wall befriended who died of cancer in 2015], Bright Beginnings, my adopted school at Ketcham Elementary. The fifth graders know that I have a deal with them, I want to continue, “he said.” I won the [NBA] Community Assist award helps DC
“These are the things that I will continue to talk about, but anything with wizards or how the trade has declined or something like that, this article was the last time I will talk about it. I passed and moved with my new franchise. “
The Wizards showed a first-half tribute video recognizing Wall and his 10 years with the franchise, especially his work in the DC area community. But without fans in the building, it didn’t have the same weight that a typical comeback game – especially for a fan favorite like Wall – would normally have.
“It was tough. I played for the fans, I played for the city,” Wall said. “I’m an emotional and passionate person. I have been for 10 years. I wanted to see these guys and see them here to support me.
“It was really tough wanting to have my first game in DC with my mom in the stands as well,” Wall said of his late mother, Frances Pulley. “She was there with me for everything, and knowing that she wasn’t there was difficult. She was probably in rank 10, section G – or first row, if she felt healthy. haven’t had the chance to have that, but I know she’s watching me and being very proud of me when I come back. But it would have been stupid to see her there. “
Wall scored 29 points to go along with 11 assists in 35 minutes, but with key Houston players (Christian Wood, Victor Oladipo, PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon), the Wizards pulled out in the second half to give the Rockets their sixth loss. consecutive. .
It was the second time Wall has played against his former team, which diluted some emotions, he said.
“It was cool, for real. I wasn’t too worried about it. We’ve played them once before,” 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 play with. That was it.”
Despite the lack of fans, Wall said it was nice to see familiar faces in the arena, but he lamented the missing.
“I know a few people in this arena today who have supported me since I was a kid for 10 years that I haven’t had the chance to see because they were fired due to the pandemic,” Wall said. . “I wish them the best. I know they played a major role in my transformation from a young boy to a grown man.
“If I get the chance when I come back next year and there are fans, I really want to bring these people up to the stands. So I will be looking forward to buying lots of tickets for people. that helped me grow. to who I am today and let them know that I haven’t forgotten them. “
Wall had the energy early, playing an electric first half and punctuating it with a signing, a left-handed dunk that ended in a loud scream. Wall scored 22 of his 29 in the first half, but with the offensive burden falling almost entirely on him, the Rockets were unable to keep up with the Wizards’ firepower.
Bradley Beal scored 37 points on 14 of 24 shots for Washington, while Westbrook added another triple-double to the books: 16 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists.
“We go. We compete. We keep each other, we push each other,” Beal said of his former teammate Wall. “Even tonight, we push each other, we tell each other to be better, we keep each other. It’s just competitive. It’s just who we are; it is our nature. I think that’s what pushed us to be who we are, who we both are today, and that’s a beautiful thing.
“So, I can’t wait to compete with him for the rest of my career, crazy as that sounds.”
At several points during the contest, Wall talked and laughed with Beal. The two had bonded in the backyard, growing together and developing their partnership to both become All-Star level guards.
“I think he accepts it. He appreciates it,” Wall said of Beal. “I think he wishes he was on the other side to be there with me, because of all the hard work and dedication that we’ve put in over the past two years.”
Wall missed all of last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon in February 2019, which left many wondering what kind of player he would be when he returned. It was a big factor in the trade for Westbrook, with Wall’s heavy contract and health issues looming over his future.
But the 30-year-old guard has returned to a high level, averaging 19.5 points and 5.9 assists per game for the Rockets. When asked if he likes to show off what he can still do and what he could have done with wizards, Wall was short and to the point.
“Yeah. They see it,” he said. “They’ve seen him all season.”
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