After an injury-riddled year, Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards faced immense scrutiny the moment Beal signed a five-year, $251 million deal with a full no-trade clause. Beal, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, has spent all his career in Washington, amassing a mere total of three postseason series victories in 10 seasons.
During his tenure, the Wizards peaked in 2017, when the Wizards came within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals. The past four seasons in particular have been rough on Beal, as he has won only one playoff game in that span.
But Beal sees his new max contract as an opportunity to cement his legacy as an all-time great Wizard.
“People always look at me like I’m crazy, but I have a huge desire to want to make it work here and win here,” Beal told Haute Living.
Bradley Beal is currently second on the Wizards' all-time scoring list at 14,231 points, with Elvin Hayes' 15,551 points within reach. If Beal meets his usual averages for games played and points per game average this upcoming season (64 and 22.1, respectively), he will be surpassing Hayes' franchise record.
“[…]There’s not a lot of chances in the careers of NBA players to be notated as the franchise guy, you know? To be able to have that opportunity, to be able to be in a position to where I can write my own story, that’s everything,” Beal added.
After missing the playoffs last season, Beal still embraces the grind of getting the Wizards to newfound playoff glory as he sets out to bounce back from the season-ending injury he suffered back in February.
“I feel like if I win a championship here in DC, the grind of it, with everything I’ve been through, all the adversity and ups and downs, that would make a win that much sweeter, make me appreciate it that much more. And I do love the grind, and to sometimes go against the odds.”
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