Wall shares his favorite memories of living and playing in D.C. originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
After 30 minutes of question-and-answer on Monday night, John Wall asked NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller if he could add a post-script to their interview. He wanted to share his list of favorite memories from his time in D.C.
“I want to talk about the special moments I had in D.C.,” Wall said. “I had some special moments, man.”
Wall was reminiscing as he got ready for Tuesday night’s meeting between the Wizards and Rockets, the first time he will face his former team since being traded to Houston in December. Though Wall seems to have some lingering frustration with how his time in D.C. ended, he has a fond love for the city.
Here are his favorite moments, as he recalled them…
“Having the opportunity definitely to watch the Mystics win their championship. Being there and supporting them, with the relationship I had with a lot of [the players] on that team. Definitely being there to watch the Nats do their thing and win those games to get to the world championship, that was very dope. Being out there with the social justice stuff that was going on, how they embraced that there. Being able to walk and have a protest with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ [movement]. That was very dope to be there through all of the times that we were going through and how the city came together, how the Mystics and the Wizards came together as a whole,” he said.
“Definitely my [backpack giveaways] to the community, every single one of them was dope because I embraced so many people there and touched the community in ways that I never thought I could. That was the most important thing for me was to touch people outside of basketball because… the love you get off the court in the community is more important than anything. I think that’s what made it dope for me. Being there when President [Barack] Obama was there and getting the opportunity to go to the White House, go bowling there and meet Mrs. Michelle Obama.
“All those things was dope and there was so much more memories that you can have there that you could never take away. My dad being born and raised there, having the opportunity to play in the city he was born at. Having both my boys be born there, that was dope. Also, purchasing my first house ever there. That was the dopest thing. I found out what it really was to be a man. Coming into that city, they taught me how to grow up and be a man more than anything, from a little boy.”
While Tuesday will be the first time Wall plays against the Wizards, it will be in Houston. He said over the weekend he will feel more emotional when playing the Wizards in D.C. on Feb. 15. After reading the comments above, you can see why.