On Tuesday, NBATV aired a Rookie Roundtable, where John Wall sat down with fellow rookies Blake Griffin, Wesley Matthews and Landry Fields to discussed being new additions to the NBA.
In case you didn’t catch it, we’ve pulled together some of what Wall himself had to say.
On playing his first NBA game:
“After a couple of minutes go by, you kind of calm down, but at first I was totally nervous.”
On his love of the sport and desire to improve:
“Every chance I get, I talk to every point guard I play and ask them what kind of advice I can add to my game for next year. I love the game of basketball. When you get a chance to get out there every night and every day and pick up a basketball, it means a lot.”
“I’m always willing to work. Always going to stay humble and hungry. Trying to get better by each season I play.”
On getting to play in Washington:
“It was great going to Washington because that’s where my dad was born. It was a good opportunity for me to go there and hopefully turn the organization around.”
“Gil mentored me first while I was there. Then after he got traded, I looked to Kirk Heinrich. He’s a great player who played for eight years. Kirk did a really good job of showing me how to guard the pick and rolls, and teaching me everything I needed defensive wise.”
On getting schooled in a game by Derrick Rose:
“That Chicago crowd went crazy and I said ‘Send me out real quick. I need a break.’”
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy playing against top point guards every night. In two weeks I had Steve Nash, Rondo, Deron Williams and Chris Paul. It was tough for me.”
On not getting hazed as a rookie:
“I got by pretty easy so far. I didn’t really have to do too much, so I’m happy. I don’t really want to carry no bags or have no Dora Explorer book bag.”
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