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time. I thought I almost didn't make the team, so I checked out the list and I didn't make it. I left the same day.
DIME: Was it maturity or something specific
that got you to turn it around? JW: Basically, my mom sat me down and talked to me. She told me if you want to be somebody you gotta change your attitude.
I was at a game and my coach – we was up 20 with four minutes to go in the third quarter – he took me out. We kept the lead going into the fourth quarter, but with like three or two minutes left in the game, they had cut the lead down to six. He was talking like, "Go back in. I need you to handle the ball out there." I was like, "Nah." I told him I'm not nobody to just go in and handle the ball. I wanted to play the whole game. You know what I mean? So he sat me down and didn't play me for the next two or three games. I was like, "Well, I'm not bigger than nothing." Basketball is way bigger than me. That's what I learned.
DIME: You're a guy who's really loud when he
plays. People might take that as being cocky. JW: I've never been cocky. Never will be. That's what I want to show this year. Stay humble and hungry. I'm just confident in my game, and I'm blessed to have the ability and blessed knowing I work hard to get that every day. When I'm on the court, it's not like I'm just going to go out there, start talking to somebody and start talking junk. When my team is making a run or scoring, you gotta get excited and into the game.
stuff with their father and things like that. I didn't have no dad around so it was tough growing up. I had to come into a man as quick as possible. I had to learn it all a whole lot faster. I took care of my mom and my sister because my mom was working three or four jobs just to take care of me.
DIME: Did his passing have an effect on your game? Didn't a
lot of people think you had a bad attitude? JW: Oh yeah. I think it affected it because I was just so aggres- sive. You know, I had so much anger built up. At a younger age, I didn't trust no men. I just knew my dad growing up. That was the only thing I knew, and it was just me and my mom and my (siblings). So I had a chip on my shoulder. I think with that type of anger and that competitive drive that I had from that happen- ing, it kind of came out to be the best way.
DIME: Getting cut in high school couldn't have helped that. JW: Yeah, I got cut in my 11th grade year. It was crazy. I remember
I didn't want to go to the school at first because I liked the school I was at, but when you move – it was a district thing – when you go to a different district, you had to go to that school. So I went to the school, went through all the tryouts and practices and all that. I was killing everybody, and they had one player who was like a bigger brother to me, a best friend, Brock Young. With me and him in the backcourt together, we were the best two players there so everyone thought, "Oh, with them two in the backcourt, they are going to win a state championship easy." That's the reason why I went because he wanted me to come. I didn't do nothing wrong, went through the tryouts and all that, did what I had to do. All of a sudden, I know that morning I went into the school and everyone was like, "You didn't make the team. You got cut." I was like, "Nah, y'all playing." The whole school was calling my phone the whole
67 DIME: Once you get the J down, do you think anyone will be
able to check you? JW: I don't think so, man. That's how I feel about my game. It's tough for people to guard me because of my speed and athleti- cism. They're playing off me and I'm still getting to the basket. That's not being cocky or anything. But I feel like when I start making my jump shot consistently, they gotta get up on me and it's gonna make it a lot easier for me.
DIME: You've said you want to be the best point guard ever or
at least one of the best. Is that still your goal? JW: I said that when I first started playing basketball. Whatever position I was going to be in, I wanted to be the best. It's going to take a whole lot of work. It's doing studying on guys like Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Kenny Anderson. All those guys you've got to really study. It ain't all about scoring. It's about champion- ships and winning.
DIME: You only shot 41 percent last year. Is there anything in particular you were focusing on this summer to improve
your jumper? JW: Just to stop fading away and jump on my shot. Don't shoot set shots and follow through. That's all I've been doing, just be- ing consistent when I shoot it and have confidence.
Wall isn't the kid anymore who used to get thrown out of his high school classes for misbehaving, nor the teenager who hit a game-winner in his first game at Kentucky. He's older. Confident. He can feel the momentum, glimpses the future. You can see it too. John Wall has arrived.