‘She would’ve been there in Row 10’: John Wall emotionally opens up about playing at Washington for the first time since his mother’s demise

John Wall spoke about how much he missed seeing his mother up there in the stands of Capitol One Arena on his return.

For nearly a decade, John Wall had given his blood, sweat and heart to the city of Washington D.C. The city welcomed him as a young 20-year-old and saw him evolve in his time there. This past offseason, Wall was traded to the Rockets in exchange for former MVP Russell Westbrook.

It was the first time John Wall returned to the Capital One Arena as a visitor. The Wizards spoilt the emotional night for Wall, as the Rockets fell to the Wizards 131-119. Despite Wall’s exceptional 29-point and 11-assists performance, the Rockets couldn’t manage to win the game.

It was also the first time Wall played at Washington D.C. since his mothers unfortunate demise. He opened up and said:

“It was definitely difficult also wanting to have my first game back in D.C. having my mom in the stands. She’s been there with me for everything, and knowing she’s not here was difficult.”

“She’d probably been in row 10, section G, or the front row if she was feeling healthy. I didn’t have the opportunity to have that, but I know she’s watching down on me and very proud of me on the comeback I had. But it would’ve been dope to see her there.”

John Wall said it occurred to him tonight it was his first time playing in D.C. since his mom passed away: “She would have been there in Row 10.”

— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) February 16, 2021

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‘I played for the fans and the city’: John Wall couldn’t play against Wizards’ fans

Usually, when players return and play against their former team, it’s emotional for them. But due to the COVID-19 protocols, the Capital One Arena had no fans watching the game. Wall spoke about how it was difficult not being able to play in front of the fans:

“It was difficult. I played for the fans, I played for the city. “I’m an emotional and passionate person. I’ve been here for 10 years, so you know I wanted to see those guys here and see them here to support me. It definitely was difficult.”

“If I have the opportunity when I come back next year if we can have fans, I definitely want to get those people in the stands.”

Also Read: “Other duties as assigned”: Bradley Beal shows that he does everything for the Wizards, hilariously retrieves ball from under the bleachers

John Wall is still trying to get adapted to his new Rockets team. This season, Wall returned on the court after missing more than a year due to a deadly Achilles injury. Regardless of which, he has been averaging an impressive 19.5 points, 5.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.