Why Did John Wall Retire From the NBA? Here's What We Know

The former point guard for the Washington Wizards, John Wall, announced on Aug. 19, 2025, that he was retiring from the NBA. John also played basketball for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets, per CBS Sports.

The NBA star made the announcement with a post on X that included a video. The post was captioned, "Retired but never done. Doing it the #WallWay."

John shared a moving video tribute announcing his retirement and thanked his fans, family, teammates, coaches, and trainers.

"I've been chasing to ball since I could barely walk," he said in the video. "Driveways, parks, packed gyms, 5 a.m. workouts. I gave this game everything I had — from Raleigh to Kentucky to the League. Every Jersey I wore meant more than just wins and stats. It was about representing something bigger, and it's something I couldn't do without you."

"To my family," he continued. "My Mom, especially, thank you for all your sacrifices. I hope I made you proud. To my teammates, trainers, and coaches, thank you for believing in me, and to the fans, who made me feel unstoppable."

John added that he was retiring because it felt like the right time to explore new opportunities as they present themselves.

"Today, I'm stepping off the court — not away from the game," he continued. "Basketball will always be in my life. As new opportunities present themselves, I feel now's a time to walk confidently into my next chapter. Thank you for every cheer, every moment. Retired, but never done. Doing it the Wall way."

According to ESPN, John played for most of his career with the Washington Wizards and averaged 10.7 assists and 23.1 points during his best season back in 2016/2017. John was also named All-NBA 3rd Team by the National Basketball Association that same year, as well as the slam dunk champion in 2014. The former point guard is a five-time All-Star baller.

John also played with the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers, but he suffered from knee injuries during the second part of his 11-year career. The 2014 slam dunk champion hasn't played for the past two years, and he has only played half the games in the last six seasons. He signed a $13 million, two-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2022, but they traded him to the Houston Rockets the following year. He was first traded to the Rockets by the Wizards back in 2020.

John played with the Washington Wizards for nine years and is the fourth-highest leading scorer in the team's history, having scored 10,879 points during his career with the team. He also earned SEC Player of the Year in 2009/2010 and SEC Tournament MVP.

The Wizards shared their congratulations on X following the announcement.

"One of our franchise all-time greats," read the post. "The definition of an era. A lasting legacy. A forever Wizard. Congratulations on your retirement, @JohnWall."