Five-time All-Star John Wall announces retirement after 11 NBA seasons

WASHINGTON: Five-time NBA All-Star and former No.1 overall draft pick John Wall announced his retirement from professional basketball on Tuesday through a video message on social media.

The 34-year-old last played in the league with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2022-23 season.

However, persistent knee injuries hampered much of his career, restricting him to just 147 appearances since the start of the 2017-18 campaign.

"Every jersey I've worn meant more than wins and stats," Wall said in his farewell message. "It represented something bigger."

Wall entered the NBA as the first overall pick in the 2010 draft, selected by the Washington Wizards out of Kentucky.

He went on to become the face of the franchise for nearly a decade, averaging 19.0 points, 9.2 assists, and 4.3 rebounds across 573 career games (561 starts) with Washington.

The Wizards paid tribute to their former star following his announcement, calling him "one of our franchise all-time greats," and hailing his "lasting legacy" as "a forever Wizard."

"One of our franchise all-time greats. The definition of an era. A lasting legacy. A forever Wizard. Congratulations on your retirement," the team wrote.

Wall’s career also included a major trade in December 2020, when Washington dealt him and a future first-round pick to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook and draft compensation.

Wall played one season in Houston (2020-21), missed the following year due to injury, and later returned to appear in 34 games with the Clippers in 2022-23.