John Wall had suicidal thoughts in recent years, the Clippers point guard revealed during an interview earlier this month.
The 31-year-old five-time NBA All-Star shared his experiences of the last few years at a garden dedication earlier this month for his late mother at the Salvation Army in his hometown of Raleigh, N.C. ClutchPoints tweeted a video of the interview on Monday.
Wall described the last two-plus years for him as “the darkest place I’ve ever been in,” he said in the interview with Donal Ware. “At one point in time I thought about committing suicide.”
He then went on to explain the tribulations that took place during that period — notably tearing his Achilles and losing his mom, Frances Pulley, in December 2019 to breast cancer — and the emotional toll they took on him. The experiences had a profound impact.
“Me going to the chemotherapy and sitting there. Me seeing my mom take her last breath. Wearing the same clothes for three days straight and laying on the couch sobbing,” he said. “Looking at all that, I’m like, if I can get through this, I can get through anything in life.”
He also said that he struggled with his mental health and sought the help of a therapist.
Wall’s struggles began after he was ruled out for the remainder of the season with an injury to his left heel in December of 2018. Then after undergoing surgery the following month, he developed an infection. That was later followed by the ruptured Achilles tendon, which Wall suffered in a fall at home.
By the time the 2019-20 season resumed in July in Orlando during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wall was beyond his expected 12-month recovery window but he did not travel with the team to Florida, thus ending his season.
In December of 2020, Wall was traded to Houston in a deal that sent Russell Westbrook to Washington. Wall played 40 games that year, averaging 20.7 points, but sat out all of last season as the Rockets were developing younger guards. The two sides eventually agreed on a buyout and this past July, Wall signed a two-year deal with the Clippers.
“We’re all going through times, nobody’s got it easy, but I don’t think a lot of people could get through what I went through,” Wall said. “And to me to get back on top where I want to be and seeing the fans still want me to play, having the support from my hometown, this important period means a lot. I went to find a therapist. A lot of people think, ‘I don’t need help, I can get through it at anytime,’ but you’ve got to be true to yourself and find out what’s best for you.”
The Clippers will open their 2022-23 NBA season on Oct. 21 against the Lakers.