The biggest trade of the 2020 offseason was the infamous Westbrook/Wall swap that saw two of the NBA’s best point guards switch teams.
For Westbrook, it was exactly what he wanted: a clean slate, with a new team. Despite the struggles he and the Wizards have had this season, there was a lot of optimism and excitement about his transition to D.C.
For John Wall, things were a bit more complicated. His attachment, dedication, and loyalty to the franchise he had called home for nine years was true and deep-rooted. So when the Wizards finally traded him, the sense around the association was that it was akin to a stab in the back.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Wall shared his feelings about the departure, and why he feels he wasn’t given the respect he deserves.
“I felt like I deserved the honesty and respect because I’ve been there for 10 years. I’ve been through the bad times, when we had s****y teams and when we had good teams in D.C.,” Wall told The Athletic. “I never turned my back on the organization. I played through damn near every injury that a lot of people wouldn’t have played through. I played through broken hands in the playoffs. I think I did everything I could and gave everything I had, heart and soul to the organization on and off the court.”
For years, Wall gave 100% effort to the Wizards, and never looked for the exit.
Even as they continued to lose games, and fall short in free agency, Wall never seemed to waver in his commitment to the team (at least, not publicly).
It’s understandable that there would be some bitter feelings on his part, even if it worked out better for him in the end.
