Following an 11-year NBA career, John Wall announced on August 19, 2025, that he will be retiring from basketball. The former Washington Wizards star has a great list of accomplishments under his belt. Nevertheless, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins doesn’t believe the 6-foot-3 guard lived up to his true potential.
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Many young or casual NBA fans may not know the extent of John Wall’s greatness. At one point, he was a prominent figure in the conversation regarding the best point guards in the league. He was a five-time All-Star and even received an All-NBA Third Team selection in the 2016-17 season.
That so happened to be his best statistical season, in which he averaged 23.1 points, 10.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. His efforts propelled the Washington Wizards to a 49-33 record.
Unfortunately, Wall began to experience a plethora of injuries. In 2017, Wall’s knee forced him to miss six to eight weeks, which even required surgery. He was able to return before the playoffs and continued to perform at the level Wizards fans had grown accustomed to.
His career would change for the worse in 2018. A heel injury would keep Wall out for the rest of the 2018-19 season. During his recovery, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon after slipping in his home. By the time he returned to the court after a trade with the Houston Rockets, he wasn’t the same player.
Taking all of these events into consideration, Perkins believes there was another gear to Wall’s game we never got to see.
“His career was derailed by injuries,” Perkins said on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “I felt like, as soon as we were just about to see the best version of John Wall, he started dealing with injuries. He never got back to himself again.”
Wall never got to accomplish his ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship, but that doesn’t mean his career was a failure. While being the face of the Wizards organization, he was able to do something that only a select few players can.
“He made the Wizards relevant for a while. He had them rocking. I still think we were on the verge of seeing the best of John Wall,” Perkins proclaimed.
Wall is a perfect example of why the NBA’s ring culture has become so toxic. His career may become a forgotten gem in NBA history throughout the years, since he never won big. The Wizards didn’t even reach the Eastern Conference Finals under his leadership.
However, people seem to forget how difficult it is to take an organization with no winning culture and turn it around. LaMelo Ball is a tremendous talent but has yet to snap the Charlotte Hornets’ nine-year and counting playoff drought.
The Wizards were in the playoffs four out of the nine years Wall was with the franchise, three of which were second-round appearances.
Wall has earned the respect of his contemporaries, such as Perkins. Most importantly, the Wizards fan base understands Wall’s true legacy. What he means to Washington has cemented him as a legend whenever he walks through the doors of Capital One Arena.
