Wall: Conflict with Beal was blown out of proportion
John Wall said some biting things about Washington Wizards teammate Bradley Beal this summer, but both players insist their relationship has been misrepresented.
After Beal signed a five-year extension worth close to $130 million, Wall said, "Now that you have your money you got to go out there and improve your game," and suggested the two "have a tendency to dislike each other."
In the wake of those comments, reports surfaced that Wall - who's on a bargain of a contract, signed before the new TV deal sent salaries into the stratosphere - had a tendency to be jealous of those making more money than him. One agent supposed that Wall's and Beal's relationship was even worse than it appeared, and "probably a total disaster."
The two men did their best to clear the air in a joint interview with The Vertical's Michael Lee published Thursday.
"This is my brother at the end of the day," Beal said. "Nothing is going to change. If I didn't want to be here, if we did beef, I wouldn't have signed my contract. That's what it ultimately comes down to."
"And I wouldn't have begged him to come back," Wall insisted. "I would’ve been, 'Don’t come back because in two years, I ain't coming back.' We would've figured something out. … I think everybody blew it out of proportion for no reason. I mean, if you look at any two great teammates, and two young, great guys, that's talented and want to be great, you're going to have ups and downs. Everything is not going to be perfect."
The Wizards' backcourt has shown flashes of the heights to which it can carry the franchise, notably in the playoffs, where the Wizards advanced to the Eastern Conference semis in 2014 and 2015. But Beal has struggled to stay healthy - as did the Wizards in general last season - and Wall has labored while trying to carry the load on his own. Wall hopes this can be the season Beal puts it all together, stays on the floor, and joins him for All-Star Weekend.
"He had injuries the last couple of years and they're like, 'He don't deserve it.' Let him get a chance to earn it," Wall said. "Let him be an All-Star. Let him see if he can be healthy for a whole season and see what he can do. … I want him to be an All-Star, just like I am. It's no fun when it's just one guy. If another guy is there, it makes it more fun."