NBA superstar John Wall is getting candid about what life has been like for him over the past two years, both on and off the court.
According to CBS Sports, Wall recalled being in the “darkest place” he’s ever encountered following the loss of family members and suffering a serious injury. “At one point in time, I thought about committing suicide. Tearing my Achilles, my mom being sick, my mom passing and my grandma passing a year later. All this in the midst of COVID at the same time,” said Wall. “Me going to chemotherapy and sitting there. Me seeing my mom take her last breath. Wearing the same clothes for three days straight and laying on the couch sobbing.”
In 2019, Wall’s mother, Frances Pulley, passed away at age 58 from cancer. During that same year, the Clippers star suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon after falling in his home. The 31-year-old credits therapy to helping him see the light at the end of the tunnel. Furthermore, Wall believes the challenges also caused him to become stronger. “Looking at all that, I’m like, ‘If I can get through this, I can get through anything in life,'” he said.
The Raleigh, North Carolina native’s professional career began when he was selected with the first overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards after just one year of playing college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Following his first nine seasons with the Wizards, Wall was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2020.
Earlier this summer, Wall’s contract was bought out by the Rockets and he later signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he will join forces with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the forthcoming season. Throughout his decorated NBA career, Wall has been selected to five All-Star Games and was named to the All-NBA third team during the 2016-17 season.