ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — John Wall was at the G League Winter Showcase last year, trying out, hoping to get back in the game.
He did the same thing this year, without stepping foot on the court.
The No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft and five-time All-Star made his broadcasting debut this weekend, handling the analyst duties for a pair of games at the G League event in Orlando. He has not officially retired as a player but knows the time is coming when he’ll have to figure out what to do next, and broadcasting clearly appeals to him.
“I’m always going to critique myself,” Wall said. “I can get a lot better. I’m learning more and more, but for me, it’s talking about basketball — what I love to do. It’s what I do when I’m home, watching with my friends and kids.”
The idea was born in a fairly simple way. When he is home in Miami, watching games with friends or his kids, they evidently all end up telling him the same thing.
“They’re like, ‘Shut up and let us watch,’” Wall said.
With that, the notion of going to TV — where talking is encouraged — evidently made sense. He did a pair of games back-to-back on Saturday, basically broadcasting for five consecutive hours with only a 20-minute break between matchups.
Wall talked about the games the way an elite player would, breaking down defenses in real time, explaining mindsets and dropping in a few anecdotes. When an Iowa player got hit in the mouth during a game against Sioux Falls, Wall spent a minute or so telling a story about what it was like to go straight to the dentist from a game after a similar hit.
He said he enjoyed the opportunity.
“I was here last year working out for a couple teams,” Wall said. “I was on the other court, working out before games. That was fun. This was fun.”
Wall is 34, still looks fit, still works out regularly at the University of Miami and says he would give anything for one more chance in the NBA. He was selected for the All-Star Game in five consecutive seasons for Washington from 2014 through 2018, even while dealing with some injuries in that span — including ones necessitating surgeries on both knees in 2016.
But six years ago this week, the decision was made for him to have season-ending surgery to address issues with his left heel. He wound up tearing his Achilles tendon in 2019, needing another yearlong recovery process. He never played for the Wizards again and has been limited to 74 games since with Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers.
He could still play, too. Wall averaged 16.3 points and 6.1 assists in those stints with the Rockets and Clippers. An abdominal strain was the beginning of the end of his stint with the Clippers, and Wall hasn’t played a game since Jan. 13, 2023.
“You do all you can to take care of yourself, and injuries are still part of the game of basketball,” Wall said. “Yeah, I think about that. The time I had, I enjoyed. I get frustrated at times. But God don’t make no mistakes.”
It’s unclear what’s next for Wall. The broadcast gig at the G League event was a one-day plan, and he’s open to more. In the interim, he’ll keep working out in Coral Gables and hoping that a team gives him one more shot.
“It’d mean the world,” Wall said. “You want to go out on your own terms. I want to finish it the way I want. If I play my last game, I want to walk off the court my way.”
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