John Wall has been spending his summer playing as much basketball as he can. On Tuesday, he took his talents to North Carolina for the Greater NC Pro-Am.
Started by former Wizard Jerry Stackhouse, the Pro-Am brings together professional athletes, collegiate players and local high school all-stars for a who’s who of summer league basketball.
“These are the types of games I love when the crowd gets into it,” Wall said. “It’s a packed house and you put on a show. It’s kind of like street ball, but it’s inside.”
Wall’s team, called Team G (the G stands for Gastroenterology, naturally), also lists college standouts Harrison Barnes and P.J. Harrison on the roster. Wall spent Tuesday’s game facing off with one-time pro Julius Hodge. According to the News Observer, Hodge “slapped the floor, pounded his chest, flapped his arms, flexed his muscles and put his hands behind his back while guarding Wall, much to the delight of the crowd.”
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All of that showboating wasn’t enough to take down the Wizards guard, as Wall sunk a game winner to give his team the 73-71 victory.
Wall, who refuses to be slowed down by the lockout, will head to Los Angeles for the ESPY Awards on Wednesday and mentioned that he’d be playing in a summer league on the West Coast, as well.
“I’m trying to play in all of the summer leagues,” he said. “I’ve been to Seattle to play in Jamal Crawford’s summer league and I played in a summer league in D.C. I’m just trying to have fun and stay in shape and play against good competition while I’m playing.”
