Former Wizards star John Wall revealed Monday that he’s dealt with suicidal thoughts over the past few years.
Wall, who has played in only 113 games in the past five NBA seasons, said a combination of his injury issues and deaths in his family put him in the “darkest place I’ve ever been.” While missing the 2019-20 season with an Achilles tear, Wall’s mother died of breast cancer. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, his grandmother died.
“At one point in time, I thought about committing suicide,” Wall said at his foundation’s charity event with Salvation Army. “I mean, just tearing my Achilles, my mom being sick, my mom passing, my grandma passed a year later, all this in the midst of COVID. … Going to chemotherapy, me sitting by my mom taking her last breaths wearing the same clothes for three days straight laying on the couch beside her.”
“I thought about committing suicide. Tearing my Achilles, my mom passing, my grandma dying a year later, in the midst of COVID. Me going to chemotherapy, sitting by my mom taking her last breaths wearing the same clothes for 3 days straight.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) August 29, 2022
John Wall on his last 2-3 years 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Kr01c2lqrb
Wall, who played for the Wizards from 2010 to 2018, returned to the court with the Houston Rockets in 2020-21 for 40 games. But due to disputes about his contract and his role on the team, Wall didn’t play at all last season.
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Wall said it’s important for people to be honest about their struggles and address them.
“A lot of people think ’I don’t need help. I can get through it at any time,’” he said. “But you’ve got to be true to yourself and find out what’s best for you.”
“My team, the mother of my kids have been great,” Wall added. “My two boys are motivation for me. I’m looking at all that and I’m like, ’If I can get through this, I can get through anything in life.’ And I don’t like to brag about this, seriously. Like everybody goes through something. We’re all going through times. Nobody’s got it easy. But I don’t think a lot of people could get through what I went through. And to me to get back on top where I want to be and seeing the fans still want me to play, having the support from my hometown – this important period means a lot.”
Wall and the Rockets agreed to a buyout this offseason, and the 31-year-old point guard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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