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NBA champion explains why he’s pleased John Wall announced his retirement, ‘I’ve actually been waiting’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 11:00 AM ET

John Wall last played for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2022-23 NBA season.

The former No. 1 overall pick played in just 34 games before getting traded to the Houston Rockets, only to be waived three days later.

Since then, John Wall had been out of the league as he searched for an NBA comeback. However, Wall finally gave up on that hope as he recently announced his retirement, leaving fans heartbroken.

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Kendrick Perkins was ‘waiting’ for John Wall’s retirement

Former Boston Celtics forward and 2008 NBA champion, Kendrick Perkins, addressed Wall’s retirement on a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast.

During the appearance, Perkins claimed he’s glad that Wall has officially announced his retirement despite trying to make an NBA comeback over the last two years or so.

“I will applaud him for retiring because I’ve actually been waiting for him to go ahead and announce it for the last two years.

I know he’s been trying to get back in the league, and I know how hard it is to retire not on your terms, when you retire because that phone stops ringing,” Perkins said.

He added: “But I’ve been watching John Wall for a minute on podcasts and NBA TV.

“The way he delivered his knowledge, I was like, ‘Bro, I know it’s hard, and you think you could still give some minutes’… It’s the hardest thing in the world.”

Wall spent 11 seasons in the NBA, but fans saw the best version of him on the Washington Wizards. Post that, Wall battled a plethora of injuries, something that Ja Morant should be wary of in his career.

Kendrick Perkins predicts how John Wall’s next chapter will be

While Perkins was never at the same level as Wall, he spent 14 years in the league. With that in mind, Big Per k shared what he went through after retiring from the league.

“I went through a depression for about a year and a half. When you finally walk away from the game and announce your retirement, it’s so difficult, but I applaud him,” Perkins continued.

Since his retirement, Perkins has become one of the biggest voices on ESPN. So, he’s certainly enjoying life post-retirement and he expects something similar from Wall.

“His next chapter is going to be pretty good. I’m a big fan of what he brings to the table from a basketball analyst side of things. I just knew throughout these years, it hasn’t been an easy transition,” he concluded.