John Wall‘s playing days are behind him, but he’ll forever be a legend in our nation’s capital.
As of Friday, Wall officially has a local basketball court named after him. The John Wall Court at Randall Recreation Center (located in southeast Washington DC is now open for all hoopers. It’s a renovated court that is designed with a giant painting of Wall’s back in a Washington Wizards jersey near the center of the court.
“It’s good to be known as a good basketball player, better to be known as a great person,” Wall said on Friday.
With his family and two young sons by his side, Wall was also joined by AJ Dybansta, the Wizards’ number one pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, earlier this week, to help with the opening ceremony. He even let Dybantsa break in the court with the first bucket after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
From one generation to another…
After his terrific one-and-done season at Kentucky in 2009-10, which kick-started the John Calipari and years of success for the Wildcats, Wall went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by Washington. He quickly turned into a must-watch star as a pro. The North Carolina native went on to make five straight All-Star appearances (2013-18), even finishing seventh in MVP voting in 2016-17. The Wizards have made the playoffs nine times since 2000 — four of those came with Wall as the franchise star.
But Wall’s impact on the city goes beyond his basketball talents. He’s been ingrained in the community ever since arriving, giving back whenever possible. He’s handed out food to those in need, hosted back-to-school drives, donated thousands upon thousands of dollars to local organizations, and done so much more. It was just a few months ago that the Wizards dedicated a whole night to celebrating him.
You can hear Wall, who called Washington DC and Kentucky his two homes, talk about this awesome moment for him below. Good luck holding back your tears once Wall gets emotional talking about his late mother, Frances Pulley.
“My momma always told me, it’s good to be known as a good basketball player,” Wall said. “It’s better to be known as a great person.”
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