There’s a whole lot of questions about what the Houston Rockets will look like this season because of the looming questions surrounding James Harden’s future with the franchise. Regardless, John Wall is in town now, and on Friday night, the former All-NBA guard made his debut in the Rockets’ first preseason tilt.
Houston managed to come out on top against the Chicago Bulls, 125-104, with Wall having a respectable showing. He scored the opening bucket of the game on a layup, and on 19 minutes of work, Wall scored 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting with nine assists, five rebounds, and a pair of steals.
.@JohnWall's debut was 💯
🏀 13pts
🏀 9ast
🏀 5reb pic.twitter.com/sxhEvbdyRE— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 12, 2020
Just seeing Wall on the floor again, even if it was in an unfamiliar uniform, was great to see, and after the game, he discussed his debut as a Rocket. As he explained, opening the game with a layup made him feel like he was “back.”
“First play of the game. I drove, made a layup and I knew I was back.” – @JohnWall
🚀 l @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/fYDb7MpmDT
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 12, 2020
“I just knew I was back,” Wall said. “I know how much hard work I’ve been through the last two years. It was a surreal moment for me even though it was preseason. I’ve been through so much in the last two years of not knowing if I’ll play basketball again, or losing my mom, having another boy. It’s just so much I’ve been through and adversity, that I feel like God just gives his strongest battles to his strongest people.”
Wall had not appeared in an NBA game since December of 2018, so again, this was quite the step for him to take. Building on it, of course, is the big thing, but with everything he’s gone through since his last game, this is one heck of a foundation.
