John Wall has overcome a lot of obstacles to get back to being a regular player on an NBA team. Wall has had 4 seasons of his career uninterrupted for one reason or the other, be it injury or being stuck with a rebuilding team that benched him to lose more games. He signed with the LA Clippers this season after going through mental health struggles and persevering through doubt to be the point guard on a title favorite.
In an interview with The Athletic, Wall realized that a lot of former All-Stars who dominated in the league once had lost jobs. This includes Carmelo Anthony, Kemba Walker, Dwight Howard, and DeMarcus Cousins. However, Wall did say he was thankful to have received a contract in the offseason.
John Wall has certainly noticed how many big name NBA players are out of work right now: Carmelo, Dwight, Kemba, and his good friend DeMarcus Cousins, among them.
"I could have been one of those guys who’s still trying to find a team…"https://t.co/z8m4Ncj0BI
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) October 25, 2022
“It’s kind of tough, because I feel like a lot of those vet guys can still contribute to a lot of teams, you know what I mean? And I just feel like they’re trying to push the old heads out. That’s just how I look at it. So I’m just happy I got the opportunity to be back in this because I could have been one of those guys who’s still trying to find a team. Like I said, I just think it’s all part of God’s plan. Me and Dame are very close. We came to Adidas together, went to China and stuff (in their earlier years). We became real close. That’s a person I respect because he’s real. I think he’s authentic. He’s not gonna sugarcoat it. He’s gonna tell you how it is. And he’s loyal. I look at loyalty as love. Everybody can tell you they love you, but I’d rather you show me your loyalty than tell me you love me. So that’s one guy I’m really close with in the league and who I really respect and f*ck with. So when I saw him in Seattle (during the preseason), it was dope to see him back and dap him up, because that was my first time seeing him in a long time.” (h/t The Athletic)
It’s been a tough road for Wall, but he is officially back on the court and trying to contribute regularly for the Clippers this season.
John Wall’s Role On The Clippers
John Wall is the first player that has joined the Clippers in the last few years that can claim to be a genuine point guard. Even players like Paul George know that Wall will make a profound impact. The pass-first guard can read the floor better than any former Clippers point guard and better than current guard Reggie Jackson. Jackson has been starting the season so far, but Wall is making a good case to be the team’s starter.
The Clippers are pegged as title favorites even though they have had a slow start to the season and haven’t looked impressive in their games. With players like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard needing to load manage, it’s going to fall on the shoulders of this deep roster to make magic happen and bring the Clippers their first title.
