Wall catches every Wizards game: 'Who the hell wouldn't wanna watch' Beal?
The Washington Wizards flipped John Wall to the Houston Rockets for Russell Westbrook in early December, ending Wall's decade-long run with the team.
But even though the five-time All-Star now plays halfway across the country, he's still keeping close tabs on his former squad - with a particular emphasis on one ex-teammate.
“Why wouldn’t I? I told everybody, I said, 'I still watch all their games,'" Wall told The Athletic's Fred Katz. "Who the hell wouldn’t wanna watch Bradley Beal?
"The numbers he puts up, the way he plays, you wanna support that. Outside of being just my brother, he’s a hell of a basketball player. So, a fan would wanna enjoy that.”
Beal is currently averaging a league-high 32.8 points to go along with five rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game - albeit for a waning 6-17 Wizards team.
Meanwhile, Wall is consistently back on the court for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Rockets' new starting point guard has put up 19.1 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.9 boards per night through 16 appearances. The 30-year-old's 51% effective field goal rate ranks as the best of his career to date, thanks in large part to 36.7% accuracy on 3-pointers.
With the Rockets set to face Washington on Monday, Wall will soon play his first regular-season game on the Wizards' homecourt since Dec. 16, 2018. Fans won't be in attendance for his first return, but the former first overall pick is already envisioning his first game back with the D.C. faithful in the stands.
"I think it’ll be a dope-ass reception, to be honest," Wall said. "I wouldn’t expect nothing less. I’ll be shocked if it was less."