John Wall ready to dive into NBA media career after ‘random’ retirement

John Wall admitted his retirement from the NBA felt random, even to him.

The five-time All-Star opened up to the New York Post about his decision to hang it up in August after nearly three years of hoping for another shot in the league. His last game came on Jan. 13, 2023, when he scored 16 points off the bench for the Clippers in a loss to Denver. Three days after getting traded to Houston, the Rockets waived him.

“It was kind of weird, it was kind of random,” Wall told the Post about his retirement.

Wall’s path to broadcasting started earlier this year when he called two G League Winter Showcase games for ESPN and NBA TV. Those appearances led to more work with NBA TV, and eventually Amazon came calling when the streamer was building its analyst roster for its first season of NBA coverage.

That’s when Wall had to weigh whether he actually wanted to retire or keep waiting for an NBA opportunity that might never come.

“When I got the opportunity to join their team [at Amazon], I was like, ‘OK, do I really want to do this in the next phase, the next chapter in my career?'” Wall said. “It was kind of bittersweet to announce the retirement, but also happy to try and go into this next phase, this next career.”

Wall’s inner circle wasn’t sure he was ready. They asked if he was certain about the decision, knowing he still felt he had plenty left to give. Wall acknowledged he was disappointed and knew his fans were too, but eventually decided to stop chasing something that probably wasn’t going to happen.

“I know I still have a lot left to give, I still love to play the game,” Wall continued. “And sometimes God throws things in there that shows you what’s next for you and I think this is the next phase for me, is sports analyst and broadcasting.”

We originally covered Wall’s G League broadcasting debut in December, when he was still hoping for one last NBA opportunity while testing the waters in media. The Associated Press reported at the time that Wall’s family kept telling him to shut up while watching games at home, which led him to think he should get paid to talk about basketball.

Wall officially announced his retirement in August with a video narrated by himself, reflecting on his career from high school at Word of God Christian Academy in North Carolina through his one season at Kentucky and 11 years in the NBA.

Amazon confirmed his hiring the same day.

Prime Video brought Wall in as a studio analyst alongside Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, and Candace Parker, with Taylor Rooks as the host. Amazon’s NBA coverage launches Oct. 24 with a Knicks-Celtics and Lakers-Timberwolves doubleheader.

Wall spent most of his career with the Wizards after going No. 1 overall in 2010. He made five straight All-Star teams from 2014-18, earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2017, and finished seventh in MVP voting that season after averaging 23.1 points and 10.7 assists. He also made All-Defensive Second Team in 2015 and won the 2014 Slam Dunk Contest.

Injuries destroyed the back half of his career. Wall dealt with a left heel infection that nearly required amputation of his foot, then ruptured his left Achilles tendon in 2019. He missed the entire 2019-20 season recovering. Washington traded him to Houston in 2020, where the Rockets eventually agreed he wouldn’t play while they developed younger players. His brief Clippers stint in 2022-23 marked his final NBA action.

Whether Wall develops into a strong analyst remains to be seen. He has the basketball knowledge and personality, but going from two G League games to Amazon’s national platform is a massive jump. Getting in on the ground floor of Prime Video’s 11-year NBA deal at least gives him a runway to figure it out.