Washington Wizards: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the John Wall for Russell Westbrook trade

The Ugly: D.C. loses an Icon

Farewell to a D.C. legend. It’s incredibly disappointing to see the John Wall era end this way. I guess it’s just the nature of the business.

Coming off an unfortunate Achilles injury, it would have been awesome to see Wall’s redemption season in Washington as he and Beal took care of unfinished business. Sadly, we’ll have to watch him from afar as he tries to bounce back down in Houston. It could have ended much worse, but this is still an ugly divorce. According to Chris Miller from NBC Sports Washington, Wall was “surprised” by the trade. Yes, he heard the whispers of a potential trade, but it was still unexpected.

Washington drafted Wall first overall in the 2010 NBA Draft and he was the face of the franchise ever since. Some of his accomplishments in a Wizards uniform will take years to surpass, if ever. Wall is currently the franchise leader in assists (5,282) and steals (976), and fourth in total points scored (10,879). His number two jersey will hang high in the rafters one day and he won’t just be remembered for his achievements on the court. More importantly, his work off the court will be remembered, as well.

Wall’s humanitarian efforts are what D.C. fans will remember the most. He’s not just a good basketball player, but a tremendous person as well. A truly selfless individual, Wall always went out of his way to build up the community and the city that drafted him. The day before Thanksgiving, as trade rumors gathered steam, Wall was in Southeast Washington, D.C. handing out 1,000 meals to the less fortunate. He spent countless hours giving back to his “second home” as he’d often call it.

Born and raised in Raleigh, NC, Wall became an honorary D.C. native the day he was drafted! The city embraced a dougieing, 20-year-old phenom with open arms and will continue to do so! In return, he gave us everything he had, and more, for a decade. It hurts to see John Wall go, but all of Washington, D.C., wishes him nothing but the best moving forward. We were lucky to have had Wall in D.C., but memories are all we have left. Let’s reminisce on the good old days…