Story By: Erin Zollars
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Washington, D.C–
Today was the day… Back to school, or training camp as we call it for NBA Players. It was headshots, interviews and all that good stuff. You remember what you did on the first day of school, you met any and everyone you could, today was that day for the Wizards.
The big problem for the Wizards is that they are starting the season without John Wall and Isiah Thomas, but have a new guy that is garnering a bunch of attention, Rui Hachimura. You would have thought it was media day at the Super Bowl today. We have covered this team for 23 years as of this season and by far, this was the largest turnout in years.
So for a lot of guys.. including Bradley Beal, it was business as usual. Back to work in his 8th season in a Wizards uniform. He talked a little about him and Wall being here again. This time, he was going to have to start off the season by himself carrying a bulk of the load with some role players around him.
“Eight years,” Wall said Monday afternoon during the Washington Wizards’ media day, pointing across the gym toward Bradley Beal in reference to their time together.
Beal finished one photo shoot, then bounded to the black backdrop. He could not have heard what Wall had said, but like an old couple who share the same wavelength, Beal made a similar remark about his teammate’s years of NBA service.
“Ten, ain’t it?” said Beal, walking closer to Wall. “This boy been here 10.”
Many media in attendance today asked Wall about his progress, for which he offered up this answer.
“I’m in no rush,” Wall said. “Only [I] can know how my body feel. Everybody has a deadline of, ‘Okay, at the year point you’re supposed to be back playing basketball.’ It doesn’t always work that way. Whenever doctors tell me anything like that, [they say,] ‘It’s all up to John Wall and how your body feel and do you feel like you can go out there and play the game you love at the highest level.’ I’m in no rush.”
Tomorrow kicks off a week of training camp before they take on the Knicks in their first pre-season match-up.