Wall, who even the wind couldn't catch, still couldn't outrun time and injuries.

When Wall retired, I noticed that he and Cousins, who were college classmates, shared such parallel career paths. Both were selected in 2010, rapidly became stars on their teams, earned All-Star status, and shortly after, became the leading players in their roles.

Of course, their career declines were equally similar, both enduring Achilles tendon ruptures; after these serious injuries, their bodies could no longer sustain their previous styles, leading to their obsolescence in the league. Wall has announced his retirement, while Cousins, although still playing, is no longer part of the NBA.

The 2010 rookie class was indeed a generation devastated by injuries, including Wall, Cousins, Hayward, and later Bledsoe, all plagued by health issues. The only remaining player in the league is Paul George, who has also suffered a horrific leg fracture during his career.

In my experience watching basketball, Wall’s speed on the court was undoubtedly the fastest. Derrick Rose’s speed was shown in his ability to change direction without slowing down, but Wall’s speed was absolute—you could be watching him one second, and the next, he was already under the basket. It’s said Wall ran the 100 meters in 10.3 seconds and sprinted three-quarters of the court in just 3.14 seconds.

That’s why he was the undisputed number one pick in 2010. At his peak, Wall was an All-Star for five consecutive years. Once he developed a reliable three-point shot, his skills reached a new level, establishing him as one of the league’s elite point guards.

The 2016-17 season marked the pinnacle of Wall’s career. His series against the Celtics was his finest performance. During the regular season, he averaged 23.1 points, 10.7 assists, and 2 steals per game; in the playoffs, he posted averages of 27.2 points, 10.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.

That Eastern Conference semifinals against the Celtics was full of emotional moments. Just before the playoffs started, Isaiah Thomas’s sister tragically died in a car accident. The second game against the Wizards fell on her birthday, and Thomas poured in 53 points as a tribute to his sister—his career-best performance.

But the best point guard in the Eastern Conference that year was still Wall. His speed and playmaking reached their peak, yet unfortunately, he fell just one win short of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the 2018 playoffs, after averaging 26 points, 11.5 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, Wall secured a four-year $170 million contract extension from the Wizards. While that contract may not seem huge now, it was a max deal at the time.

However, fate took a turn quickly. In December 2018, Wall suffered a season-ending injury to his left heel. In January 2019, he underwent surgery on that heel, but then slipped in his home bathroom, causing a ruptured left Achilles tendon, which forced him to miss the entire 2019-20 season.

At that time, Wall couldn’t have imagined that he had played his last game for the Wizards. For a player known for his speed, an Achilles rupture is like a lion losing its sharpest fang. Wall later said in interviews that he had hoped to end his career with the Wizards, but unfortunately, the team had lost faith in him.

In December 2020, Wall was traded from the Wizards to the Rockets. During the following offseason, the Rockets and Wall agreed that he would not play for the team before a buyout. As a result, Wall did not play a single game in the entire 2021-22 season despite being healthy.

In the 2022 offseason, the Rockets finally bought out Wall’s contract, and he signed with the Clippers, which became the final stop of his career. In fact, after his Achilles injury, Wall played only 74 NBA games in total. He averaged 11.4 points with the Clippers, but his style was no longer suited to the NBA.

The years from 2019 to 2022 were the darkest period of Wall’s life. Coming off his peak performance and a max contract, he quickly plummeted from the height. Everything he cared about slipped away from him one by one. He permanently lost his speed, as well as his mother and grandmother.

Wall’s mother raised him alone, driving him to school every day and waiting outside the gates to make sure he didn’t skip classes. When she was diagnosed with cancer, Wall tattooed her portrait on the back of his neck with the words “Dear Mom.”

Wall’s mother eventually succumbed to cancer, and no amount of money could undo what had happened. After her passing, Wall would call her six or seven times a day, only to hear voicemail messages. Even though she was gone, he continued talking to her on the phone.

After losing his mother, Wall fell into deep depression, and rumors of the Wizards wanting to trade him surfaced. In his later accounts, Wall revealed that he once seriously contemplated suicide and ending it all.

During his darkest days, his child became his sole reason to keep going. Later, Wall dreamed of his mother, who told him he had to live for his child. That’s when Wall sought help, started seeing a therapist, and gradually emerged from the shadows.

Unlike Cousins, Wall was fortunate to earn over $280 million during his NBA career, allowing him to choose his post-retirement path freely. He became a basketball analyst, sharing his insights and reminiscing about his playing days.

Wall’s basketball career has ended, but the second half of his life is just beginning. Having endured the darkest times, there is now nothing that can defeat him.