John Wall has never hidden that he has had some really tough days during his time away from the basketball court. The five-time All Star went through a real ordeal starting in 2017: two seasons of 41 and 32 games played, respectively, then the Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss the entire 2019-20 season, the trade to Houston and then the signing to the Clippers, two years in which his appearances totaled only 73. Today Wall is a free agent, last playing in the NBA last season before being cut in February 2023.
Udonis Haslem podcast guest, The OGs Show, Wall opened up by recounting the very difficult times he experienced and the depression that twice led him to actually think about suicide. The former Wizards star, first overall pick in the 2010 Draft, admitted that he twice put a gun to his temple and then fortunately changed his mind out of love for his children.
“Mental health is a serious thing. If it wasn’t for my two children, I would have killed myself. I put a gun to my head twice. Many people close to me and many friends at the time did not know about it. A video came out where I was making gang signs with my hands, that was my darkest period, I was looking for a way to find happiness.” Wall recounted. Then, coached by Mike Miller, he continued: “Yes, I thought about suicide. But if I killed myself I would have let my children down, who would raise them? I also wrote this in The Players’ Tribune. If I had deprived them of a father it would not have been fair to them. I had to be there for them.”.
“Twice I wanted to commit suicide, but I was like, ‘Man, if I take myself away from this earth, I’m failing my kids. Like, who gonna be there to raise them?'”
John Wall opens up about his past mental health struggles 🙏
(via @theOGsShow)pic.twitter.com/oNBGXEKVMc
– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 12, 2024
Today John Wall is 33 years old but has not yet decided to retire, on the contrary: in the same podcast he stated that the goal is to return to the NBA. For several years the point guard was a star, but injuries have downsized his role: last season at the Clippers, as a reserve, Wall scored 11.2 points on average with 5.4 assists.
ALSO READ: Isiah Thomas on Michael Jordan: “Never knew he hated me! Peace? NEVER, unless…”
Milan, Italy. A graduate in Labor Management and Communication for Organizations from Catholic University, I founded BasketUniverso in 2011. Yes, I root for Orlando Magic and do my best not to hide it.
