John Wall has been looking to make his NBA comeback for over a year now. He last played for the Clippers in 2023 and since then, is trying to find his way back into the league. Wall recently made an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George to talk about his comeback hopes and his career so far in the NBA.
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Halfway through the podcast, the 33-year-old was asked about the label of being the greatest Washington Wizard of all time. Wall gave major props to Gilbert Arenas for giving him a shoutout as the best-ever Wizard.
He said during the podcast, “It’s funny bro, because I do [feel I’m the greatest Wizard ever]. I know how much Gil means to the city and like how he embraced the community same way I did.”
The five-time All-Star said that he won’t be mad if someone picked Gilbert Arenas as the greatest Wizard of all time, but in his opinion, he’s the one who deserves that crown.
“I’m not mad at either one but I feel like I’m that guy. Just for going number one [in the NBA Draft], being there, embracing the city like I did, the way they embraced me,” Wall added.
Wall also mentioned that he still goes back to Washington every summer because it’s his community for life. The NBA vet was, meanwhile, reminded by Paul George how he was received so well at Washington during his visit as a Clipper. While Clippers stars PG and Kawhi heard boos at the arenas of their former teams, Wall received the adoration and admiration of Wizards fans.
It was as if they were still sad that Wall left, PG noted.
In the meantime, Wall revealed that he still does his “backpack giveaway” or turkey drive during thanksgiving in Washington just so he can continue to give back to the community that showed him love when he first got there in 2010 as the first overall pick in the NBA draft. Wall stayed in Washington for the first 10 years of his NBA career.
Since 2023, Wall hasn’t been able to find a spot on an NBA team, but he has not given up on his comeback hopes yet.
John Wall wants to get back in the game
Wall believes that he has a lot to offer to this game. As someone who played for 13 years, he has accumulated a lot of experience that can be beneficial for many young teams.
He said, “That’s where I am. I know how much the game means to me, how much I wanna get back to the game…it’s been a tough journey trying to get back there, the most important thing for me is trying to stay healthy.” Wall said that there are a lot of young teams in the league that can use a veteran like him in their rotation.
However, at the age of 33, he doesn’t want to restrict himself as someone who is only looking for a key position. He said that he is even willing to be a role player who can help the young players navigate the games throughout the season. In addition to that, he is also ready to pick up a mentor or coaching position in any team.
All he wants is a chance to get back into the league and be involved in the games once again.
