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the "Lockout League" in Vegas. While he was consistently putting up big numbers in summer league games, pros like Michael Beasley, Brandon Rush and Jared Dudley raved about his outside shot. After turning 21 years old in September, with a new age in the NBA barreling down upon us, it's not difficult to envision a future where John Wall dominates. It's an expectation.
On three separate occasions this summer, I spent time with Washington's favorite son. Three times, Wall gave me answers on his past, the present and most importantly, what's on the horizon for the NBA's next great point guard.
June 14, 2011
We're going on about his draft night. It feels so long ago. At the moment, Wall is sandwiched between a season where he would've been the runaway Rookie of the Year had it not been for a so-called rookie from the Clippers, and a summer league takeover. Just two months later, Wall would find himself a star amongst stars in the best summer league game ever, scoring 28 as the Washington, D.C.-based Goodman League beat L.A.'s Drew League. Then, he be- came the alpha dog in Las Vegas' "Lockout League." By the turn of October, Wall set YouTube ablaze with perhaps the summer's two most disgusting highlights at Winston-Salem State University in Chris Paul's charity game: a behind-the-back dunk and a windmill alley-oop to himself from off the wall.
All of that shouldn't surprise you. Wall might never stop smiling, but he was always a summer assassin, even before we knew his name.
DIME: What's the hardest part about dealing with fame? JOHN WALL: The only thing is you can enjoy life but it's hard.
Every time you go out, you gonna have people bothering you, and that's one thing I got used to. I think high school really helped me. Being from North Carolina, a lot of people would always want autographs so I did 'em. I loved it because I didn't think somebody would want my autograph at the age I am today. So that's just the toughest part. You can't really go out to the stores or go bowling or something without somebody taking a picture or MediaTakeOut or anything like that following you around.
DIME: With all of that outside stuff going on, how are you able
to keep the focus on your game? JW: Easy. Like I told you, just stay low-key. I don't really do too much anyway, but when I do, I do it to have fun. Just try to stay low-key, watch your surroundings and go out and enjoy yourself. People are going to make stories up. People are going to do whatever they want. But as long as you know it's not true, you cool.
And I can just go to the gym at any time, and whatever anger or whatever I'm think- ing, I just blank all that out. That stuff goes out the picture whenever I step in the gym.
DIME: Take me back to the Reebok Breakout Challenge where you were first
discovered. JW: They give you tryouts in different states. Throughout the world, they have tryouts. A lot of people get invited to it, and like two or three people get invited to the Breakout Camp. You just work your way up there to the top. You gotta earn your spot and that's something I like. You know, most other camps already got the All-Americans
and the ranked players that get invited. But the guys that are undiscovered, don't have a name or are just working hard back home, they are giving them a shot for the chance to make it big like I did.
DIME: For yourself, can you remember your attitude when
you got there? JW: Yeah, the whole mindset going in was the killer instinct. This was my opportunity to get up there and play against the guys that were ranked. There's guys that I looked at on Scout. com that were already up there, and this was a great opportunity to be on the court with them at the same time.
DIME: Do you expect to make the same type of jump this year
that Derrick Rose made last year? JW: Yeah, I wanna make the same type of jump. I just want people to know that he's Derrick and I'm John. But I'm working out the same way he did and each year you improve. That's really the only thing you can do in this league is try to get better each year.
August 30, 2011
It's 11:14 in the morning on a Tuesday in late August, and yet John Wall's presence is echoing off the walls within Reebok Headquarters in Canton, Mass. It's pros vs. high schoolers, Reebok bringing their NBA guys – Jason Terry, Jameer Nelson, Ramon Sessions, Isaiah Thomas and Wall – to train with the best high school prospects from this summer's Breakout Challenge – Jonathan Milligan, Daiquan Walker, Seth Allen and Darrick Wood. Over the top of everyone else is Wall, smiling sheepishly when he's introduced to a huge crowd of Reebok employees, then bellowing out "Come back here!" when he hits a pull-up jump shot, and complaining when the game ends.
"We gonna play for real?" he says, pleading with everyone to stay as the other NBA players drift toward the sideline. I'm there from 10 a.m. until nearly 5 p.m. Wall's still playing when I leave.
On a walk to another facility for a training workout of squats and push-ups, I can hear Wall behind me laughing and joking. During the workout, he's antsy and seems distracted, then rushes through exercises like he has somewhere to be.
I had to learn it all a whole lot faster.
I HAD TO COME INTO A MAN AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
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Ten minutes after we get back to Reebok's facilities, he's show- ing Milligan how to spin off a defender. A few minutes after that, he won't shut up playing against Wood in a three-on-three game.
"That don't work!" he scolds the St. John's commit after Wood tries to use the Shane Battier approach, putting his hand directly in Wall's face. "I'm a vet!"
These high schoolers are aiming for the "John Wall Blueprint" – turning themselves into instant basketball celebrities via sum- mer hoops explosion. But for Wall, teaching the next generation is foreign. "I'm only 20 years old, man," he jokes. It came so quickly, all of it turned around so fast that it's hard to fathom.
DIME: In a setting like this, you're as loud as everyone else combined. Are you just
that excited to play? JW: Oh yeah. I just love to play basketball. I could play 24/7. I know in a couple years,