Jan 16, 2010; Auburn, AL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard John Wall (11) is blocked by Auburn Tigers guard Tay Waller (24) during the second half at Beard Eaves Memorial Coliseum in Auburn. The Wildcats beat the Tigers 72-67. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images John Reed-Imagn Images

Former Kentucky stars pay tribute to John Wall after his retirement announcement

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 11:30 AM ET

The basketball world was given a shock on Tuesday as former Kentucky star and number one overall pick John Wall announced his retirement from the game.

During his freshman season at Kentucky, he took college basketball by storm and helped a lot of young Kentucky fans fall in love with basketball. His signature dance took over the Bluegrass State and was a big part of the most famous Midnight Madness moment of all time.

After his elite freshman season at Kentucky, Wall went on to be drafted first overall by the Wizards and went on to have a solid NBA career. Injuries held Wall back from having an elite career in the NBA, but he was still spectacular when healthy in the league.

After Wall took to social media to announce that he would be retiring from basketball, many pro players shared their support for the former Wildcat, including some other Kentucky legends.

Let's take a look at some tweets from former Kentucky players after Wall announced he was retiring.

Karl-Anthony Towns

A Wildcat GOAT Enjoy retirement brother! @JohnWall
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) August 19, 2025

Julius Randle

The reason I wanted to go to UK .. hell of a career killa!! @JohnWall
— Julius Randle (@J30_RANDLE) August 20, 2025

Kentucky basketball is a community, so it was great to see a lot of former players take to social media to support one of the all-time great Kentucky basketball players.

It will be interesting to see what the world has next for Wall, but he is the type of person who would be a great basketball coach. He has an elite basketball IQ and is a great human being, which is why many believe he would be good in a coaching role.

If Wall did want to get into coaching, Mark Pope should try and find a role for him within the Kentucky basketball program.

During his season in Lexington, Wall put up elite numbers and really set the tone for the rest of the John Calipari era in Lexington. A lot of the success Calipari saw during his time in Lexington was thanks to the hype Wall brought to the program.

Wall is always going to be loved in Lexington, Kentucky, and perhaps one day he could be back as a coach if that is the path he chooses.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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