Former No. 1 pick, five-time All-Star John Wall announces his retirement from basketball
Wall was the No. 1 pick of the Washington Wizards in 2010 out of Kentucky. He Dougied his way to 16.4 points and 8.3 assists a game as a rookie, making First Team All-Rookie (he was second in Rookie of the Year voting to Blake Griffin).
Wall played nine seasons for the Wizards and is a franchise legend, a lightning-fast player end-to-end with the ball in his hands but able to play under control at that speed. He averaged 19 points and 9.2 assists a game in that stretch for Washington, making five All-Star teams, one All-Defensive team, and he was All-NBA in his peak season of 2017 when he averaged 23.1 points a game.
In 2019, Wall suffered a torn Achilles and was never the same after that. He missed a full season, then came back with stints with the Rockets (he was traded to them for Russell Westbrook) and Clippers, and in Los Angeles, he played well off the bench when healthy (but he only played 34 games for them). However, his impact was never quite the same after the injury.
The Wall game I most remember came during the lockout in 2011, when a number of NBA players got together at The Pyramid on the Campus of Long Beach State (about a nice 3-iron shot from my front door) for an exhibition game. In that free-flowing, pickup-style game, the speed and athleticism of Wall overshadowed everyone else on the court. He was dynamic and one of the most entertaining players the league has ever seen.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 minutes ago
- Associated Press
All eyes on top-rated recruit Bryce Underwood at QB for No. 14 Michigan in Sherrone Moore's 2nd year
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Bryce Underwood is ready to have all eyes on him this season, playing quarterback for No. 14 Michigan hailed as the top-rated recruit in the country. He's also ready to take some hits. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Underwood told two reporters earlier this summer — at a car dealership that leveraged his name, image and likeness to draw fans for autographs — that he has put on 15 pounds of muscle to get bigger, stronger and quicker. 'It's made me more explosive,' Underwood said. 'I feel way more faster.' The Wolverines trail four Big Ten teams in the AP Top 25, but Underwood said people should expect a lot from them on both sides of the ball. 'Offense and defense that they never seen before,' he said. Second-year coach Sherrone Moore, who might name a starting quarterback on Monday, said Underwood's talent and comprehension of the offense under new coordinator Chip Lindsey are what have stood out the most so far from the freshman. 'Consistency is the biggest thing,' he said. 'Don't turn the ball over, command the offense, make plays.' Sign-stealingMoore will be suspended for the third and fourth game of the season as a self-imposed sanction in response to the NCAA investigation into the sign-stealing scandal that has loomed over the program for two years. The NCAA also suspended Moore for the 2026 opener, fined the school tens of millions of dollars and reduced official visits by 25% this season. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said the governing body made errors interpreting its bylaws, adding that conclusions were made that were contrary to the evidence. 'We will appeal this decision to ensure a fair result and we will consider all other options,' Manuel said. On the ground Michigan expects to take pressure off Underwood with a potentially dynamic duo in the backfield. Justice Haynes, who started six games last season at Alabama, and sophomore Jordan Marshall, who ran for 100 yards against the Crimson Tide in a bowl game win, are expected to split time at running back to give the team quite a 1-2 punch. 'They compete in the weight room every single day, push each other and they just work as hard as they can,' Underwood said. Over-under Michigan was 8-5 in Moore's debut season, closing with three straight wins, including a fourth in a row against rival Ohio State and over Alabama in a bowl game. The Wolverines are projected to have similar results this year. The Wolverines over-under is 8 1/2 wins, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Michigan's mantra Robby Emery, director of character development for Michigan football, has tried to set the tone with coaches and players to control what they can and to let the rest go. 'We're really living by this motto of TNT — today not tomorrow,' Moore said. The schedule Michigan opens with New Mexico on Aug. 30 under the lights at the Big House. The Wolverines travel to play Oklahoma, where Moore was an offensive lineman nearly 20 years ago, in Week 2. Moore will miss a home game against Central Michigan and the Big Ten opener at Nebraska. The Wolverines play rival Michigan State on the road Oct. 25 and close the regular season at home against rival and third-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 29. Michigan is not scheduled to play No. 2 Penn State, No. 7 Oregon or No. 12 Illinois. ___ AP college football: and Sign up for the AP's college football newsletter:
CBS News
2 minutes ago
- CBS News
With the WR depth chart slashed by injury and suspension, who could the Vikings add?
When you have Justin Jefferson on your roster, wide receiver is always going to be a position of strength. And while the top of the Vikings' receiver depth chart is as solid as ever, injuries and a suspension mean the team is thinner there than they'd like heading into this season. Jefferson himself just returned to practice after being held out for a while with a hamstring strain. The team insists he'll be ready for Week 1. Jordan Addison, the route-running Robin to Jefferson's Batman, is suspended for the first three games after a reckless driving conviction. No. 3 receiver Jalen Nailor is nursing a hand injury and free agent addition Rondale Moore will miss a second straight season after suffering a knee injury in the Vikings' first preseason game. Behind that group, the Vikings have several rookies, including third-round pick Tai Felton, and a handful of unproven vets and depth pieces. Given that, the team could look to sign a wide receiver — or even trade for one, as the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. So, who's available? This close to the start of the season, the pickings are slim, but there are some viable trade and free-agent targets for the Vikings to go after, including a couple of ghosts of Vikings past. Palmer is entering his third season with the Buccaneers, and he's buried on one of the deepest depth charts in the league. Though the Bucs have injury questions of their own with Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, they just spent a first-round draft pick on Emeka Egbuka and signed Sterling Shepard this offseason. Palmer has a similar size profile to Addison, and while he's obviously not as talented as the Vikings' No. 2, he only has to replace him in the short term. Palmer also brings skills as a returner, where the Vikings have an open competition. Pierce is coming off the best season of his career (824 yards and seven touchdowns), and would likely command the highest trade return of any name on this list. The 25-year-old is a great deep threat, averaging 22.4 yards per reception last year. So why would the Indianapolis Colts trade him? Well, they just named Daniel Jones their starting quarterback, and Jones is among the league's most reluctant deep passers. The Colts' offense will likely be predicated on short passes, and while Pierce could be used as a decoy to free up space underneath, he may want to seek greener pastures elsewhere. At 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, he also would give the Vikings an element of size they're currently lacking. Here's a familiar name. The Vikings released Thielen after the 2022 season and he signed a deal with the Carolina Panthers. He's been solid in Carolina, collecting 1,629 yards and nine touchdowns across two seasons. But the Panthers just took a wide receiver with the No. 8 overall pick, and they have some other young prospects as well. A reunion between the Vikings and Thielen would make sense for everyone involved. Davis is a free agent, so the Vikings wouldn't have to give up anything but money to get him. But he's coming off an injury of his own, so depending on his recovery, the Vikings might be hesitant to add him as a failsafe. Still, before his injury last season, he was one of the league's most consistent backup receivers, averaging 682.5 yards and 6.8 touchdowns across four season with the Buffalo Bills. If the medicals check out and the money's right, the Vikings could get a steal in Davis. Another free agent and another familiar face. Powell spent the last two seasons with the Vikings, serving as a depth piece and occasional returner. While he won't move the needle on the field, he's familiar with the offense and likely wouldn't be an expensive add. If the Vikings are just seeking a Band-Aid while Addison's suspended and Nailor is recovering, Powell would be a fine option.
Washington Post
2 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Pirates call up Bubba Chandler, baseball's top pitching prospect
PITTSBRURGH — Baseball's top pitching prospect is getting called up to the majors. The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to promote 22-year-old right hander Bubba Chandler ahead of their game Friday against the Colorado Rockies, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
