Last week, John Wall hit the streets of New York City to celebrate the release of his new signature shoe, the Reebok Zig Encore. After all the commotion died down, we got a chance to catch up with John to chat about his new kicks, the Wizards and Kentucky’s chances this season.
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Dime: How does the Zig Encore compare to the ZigTech Slash you wore in your first season?
John Wall: It’s a big difference. It’s a lighter shoe. The Zig Encore is a lot lower, it has a gum bottom and it has my new logo on it as well.
Dime: Last year, Reebok released a super limited “Gold Rush” edition of ZigTech Slash. Can we expect to see a Zig Encore release as special as that this year?
JW: Yeah, we’ve got some big things on the way. Whenever the season starts and I get a chance to play at Madison Square Garden, we’re gonna do another shoe.
Dime: How do you like the Wizards’ new uniforms?
JW: I love ’em. They’re red, white and blue so they’re perfect for D.C. They resemble the American flag since D.C is the nation’s capital. Also I think that with a new team, in order for us to start over, win some games and become a playoff team, you need a new look. I think the colors are perfect.
Dime: The Wizards picked up some promising new talent in the draft this year between Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton. Have you gotten the opportunity to play with either of them yet?
JW: I’ve gotten to play a few pickup games with Chris, but haven’t gotten the chance to get on the court with Jan yet.
Dime: How do you think they can contribute to making the Wizards a better team next season?
JW: I think Chris is going to be a huge factor in helping us out next season. He’s about 6-8, 6-9, and can really run the floor well. He’s very athletic and he can really defend. That’s just the type of player we need to help us win games. I haven’t gotten to see too much of Vesely yet, but I know he can dunk. So I look forward to seeing him catch a lot of alleys and maybe even entering the dunk contest.
Dime: This summer you were tearing it up in leagues all over the country. What was the most exciting game you played in?
JW: The most exciting game for me was the Drew League vs. Goodman League game. We got a battle going on right now. The series is at 1-1 right now, so we gotta play a sudden death match to see who the best team is.
Dime: When will that be?
JW: I dunno. I think we’re gonna do it in Vegas sometime soon. If the lockout ends anytime soon it’ll probably have to be next year sometime.
Dime: The “Lockout League” in Vegas was crazy. Tell us a little about that experience.
JW: It was great, man. I just came from my birthday weekend turning 21, so I was really enjoying myself at the time. I was just having fun out there learning from guys like Chauncey Billups, Kyle Lowry and those guys. I just love playing basketball, so it was a great experience.
Dime: Last question. What do you think about Kentucky’s team this season?
JW: I think they’ve got a great team. Coach Cal has had great teams for the past three years. We fell short my year, last year’s team made it to the Final Four, so hopefully this team can get Coach Cal the championship.
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