Watching John Wall break down into tears Monday night in a post-game interview following the Wizards’ remarkable 133-132 double-overtime win over the Boston Celtics at the Verizon Center, it reminded me of another star basketball guard in this town.
Wall was drained by the emotional game he played with a heavy heart. A young girl he had befriended — Damiyah Telemaque-Nelson, other known as Miyah — had died after a battle with cancer.
“It was kind of tough throughout the day just knowing how hard she fought for it,” Wall said. “It was tough for me. I know it was tough for her family. I haven’t had an opportunity to talk them today because I was trying to not think about that and give her family their condolences and peace and just not think about it.
“This game was really meant for her,” Wall said. “It would have been even tougher to lose it. I think God has a plan and I just went into a mode where I didn’t want to lose this game.”
We were all touched by it — but it reminded me of another star basketball player in this town who had opened his heart up to help others, and we were all touched by that, too.
I thought of Gilbert Arenas.
The stories of Arenas’ generosity became the stuff of legends — the time he delivered nearly $20,000 in provisions to Hurricane Katrina victims who were staying at the D.C. Armory, or the time he gave his playoff share to the Wizards equipment manager to buy a minivan for his special needs daughter.
And, of course, how he befriended Andre McAllister Jr., the young boy who had lost most of his family in a fire.
Arenas helped those in need, just like John Wall is doing now in Washington. But they are not the same.
What drove Gilbert Arenas to help others was his own needs. It made Arenas feel good to perform those acts. The fact that it helped others was a collateral benefit. Arenas felt like doing it, so he did it, because it made Arenas feel good.
Just like it did when Arenas tortured teammates, or when he brought out four guns in the Wizards locker room in December 2009 to confront teammate Javaris Crittenton in a fight over a card game and told Crittenton to “pick one.”
Arenas did what he felt like doing in his heart that that moment. It was what he wanted to do. He wasn’t thinking about Andre McAllister Jr., or all the people he had helped — or could help — at that moment.
He was indulging himself — like a child.
John Wall has matured into a man — and he has done so right before our eyes in Washington.
Gone is the 20-year-old kid who was introduced after the draft in the ill-fated orchestrated Ted Leonsis event at the Verizon Center — a terrible statement for a franchise that had just been destroyed by indulging another superstar player.
We have watched as Wall has grown from an athletic but out-of-control force on the court to becoming one of the best players in the NBA — a leader on the court who the city is ready to embrace as the face not just of this franchise, but of Washington. We can’t be sure if he is the real thing — as we saw from Arenas, nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors — but the way Wall has embraced the direction of this team, the coaching from Randy Wittman and the leadership of new teammate Paul Pierce, is a sign this is a young man who recognizes responsibility and commitment — and not a child.
Robert Griffin III was knocked from that top spot as Washington’s sports king before he ever got started. Alex Ovechkin was given the keys to the city but has never been able to unlock it, and is running out of time. We haven’t seen enough of a healthy Bryce Harper to know if he can be the proud, shining light in the troubled Washington sports world — with the dark clouds of the Redskins hanging over.
Wall, though, is on the verge of owning this city, and with it a talented Wizards team that could compete for the Eastern Conference championship and wind up in the NBA Finals.
These Wizards are 15-6, coming off a stunning last-second 91-89 win over the Orlando Magic on the road on Wednesday. Now they will face a tough test Friday night at home when the Los Angeles Clippers, winners of nine straight, come to town — and Wall will have another test, going up against the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul.
When these two went at it last season, Paul took Wall to school with a 38-point performance. It came after Wall, a month earlier, after scoring 30 points in three straight games, started making comments about being “the best point guard” in the league.
How Wall handles this showdown with Paul will be another indication of how he has matured into a man this city can be proud of. Hopefully Wall will recognize this is the Washington Wizards against the Los Angeles Clippers, and it is not about him.
It was something Gilbert Arenas never learned.
• Thom Loverro can be reached at tloverro@washingtontimes.com.
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