John Wall's night was perfect, except for one thing - he went into the wrong interview room. As his crew made their way up the steps through the adoring fans, someone made a wrong turn into a side room. The entire group followed, only to find that door didn't lead to the interview room like they all thought.
Eventually, everyone changed course, went the right way and made it to the right spot. Once there, Wall was direct right off the bat. He is a leader, and he'll have no problem being one right away.
"I was always a leader by example, working hard, being the first in the gym, the last [to leave], and I'm going to keep doing that in the NBA, working hard," Wall said. "But I'm now a leader that does not mind speaking up to the older guys."
Wall tried to stay cool throughout, never smiling as he made his way to the podium, but he did laugh uncontrollably once David Stern said something to him on stage. Once in the interview room, he also got a bit emotional when asked about his mother, who raised him by herself after his father went to prison and then passed away.
"Words can't even explain [her impact] right now," Wall said. "Growing up, I lived in a tough neighborhood, getting in trouble in school, especially when my dad passed. So my mom taking me to school and picked up in the afternoon, that was it. As a kid, 10, 11 years old, you want to see your family spend time and didn't really have it. She was the first lady, she says, if you don't change your attitude, you'll never be doing [anything]. So for her, to be in this situation, means a lot to me, and I love her to death."
Wall also said he is thrilled to be the leader of a new youth movement in D.C. The Wizards obviously have four picks this year, which means a lot of new young guys are coming in, so Wall took note.
"That means a lot. It means we're going out there and trying to start up brand new and build the team all over again," he said. "Let's hope that, with me and the other guys picked this year, we can change the organization around on and off the court."
More later...