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John Wall has officially announced his retirement from the NBA. The 34-year-old announced his retirement in an emotional Instagram farewell message on Tuesday.
“I've been chasing the ball since I could barely walk. Driveways, parks, packed gyms, 5 am workouts — I gave this game everything I had,” Wall said in his retirement video on Instagram. “From Raleigh, to Kentucky, to the league — every jersey I've worn meant more than just wins and stats. It was about representing something bigger, and it's something I couldn't do without you.
“To my family, my mom especially, thank you for all your sacrifices. I hope I made you proud. To my teammates, trainers, and coaches, thank you for believing in me. And to the fans, you made me feel unstoppable. Today, I am stepping off the court, but not away from the game. Basketball will always be in my life. And as new opportunities present themselves, I feel more confidently to walk now into my next chapter.
“Thank you for every cheer, every moment. Retired, but never done. I'm doing it the Wall way.”
"I gave this game everything I had."
John Wall announcing his retirement on IG 🙌pic.twitter.com/FxROxwuqko https://t.co/NXv7RM4rDt
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 19, 2025
After being the first pick by the Washington Wizards in the 2010 NBA Draft out of Kentucky, Wall went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Wizards and was named an All-Star for five consecutive years, from the 2013-14 season to the 2017-18 season.
In addition to his nine years with Washington, Wall also played for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Unfortunately for Wall, injuries plagued him throughout his career, as he missed multiple seasons because of his battle with serious leg and knee ailments.
During the 2018-19 season, Wall was ruled out in December as a result of a heel injury. Upon undergoing season-ending surgery, Wall developed an infection from the incision made during his heel surgery and then suffered a torn Achilles when he slipped in his home.
Wall missed all of the 2019-20 season with the Wizards before ultimately being traded to Houston in 2020 for Russell Westbrook. He only played in 40 games during the 2020-21 season because of his battle with injuries and returning to the court after his Achilles battle.
The veteran guard did not play at all during the 2021-22 season with the Rockets, as he and the organization mutually agreed for him to sit out while the team rebuilt its roster with young talents.
In 2022, Wall signed a two-year contract with the Clippers in free agency, but he only played in 34 games during the 2022-23 season, his last in the NBA. The Clippers traded Wall back to Houston before the trade deadline that year, and he was subsequently waived by his former team.
Wall retires as a five-time All-Star, one-time All-NBA selection, and a one-time All-Defensive team selection. He finished seventh in the MVP voting during the 2016-17 season after averaging a career-high 23.1 points and 10.7 assists per game.
That season, Wall led the Wizards to 49 wins alongside Bradley Beal, the organization's most wins since the 1978-79 season when the then Washington Bullets went 54-28. Washington also made the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third time in a four-season span.
The Wizards have only made two playoff appearances since 2017, losing in the first round each time. Since Wall's departure in 2019, the Wizards have gone 162-310, the second-worst record in the NBA over the last six seasons.
In 647 career games, Wall averaged 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.0 percent from the floor. He will forever go down as one of the best players in Wizards history.
Wall holds the Wizards franchise records for most assists (5,282), most assists in a single season (831, 2016-17), and most steals in team history (976).
