NBL: Former No.1 NBA draft pick John Wall on his future, the NBL’s growth and his ownership of the South East Melbourne Phoenix

As a host of Next Gen stars surge up draft boards, five-time All Star John Wall has lauded the NBL’s growing impact on the NBA draft.

Former NBA No.1 draft pick John Wall has not ruled out a stint in the NBL — one day.

But the co-owner of South East Melbourne Phoenix has a singular goal, right now: make it back to the NBA.

Down Under for the first time, the five-time NBA All Star has arrived to take in Sunday’s Throwdown at John Cain Arena between his club and Melbourne United, with his trainer in tow.

“My ultimate goal for myself is to keep pushing harder so that I can make it back to the NBA,” Wall said.

“I get up every day at 6am and work out. I still love the grind. I still love to play. I’m hoping to get back in the NBA, that’s where my heart is, right now.”

South East Melbourne co-owner John Wall, the former NBA star, with Phoenix coach Mike Kelly.

Wall, 33, last took to an NBA floor in January with the LA Clippers and, should an opportunity to return to the big league fail to materialise, the 191cm point guard would entertain a stint in the NBL.

“You never know,” Wall told Code Sports, with a wry smile.

“If ever get to that point in my career. You never know.

“Like I said, my main focus is still the NBA, but, down the road, if that doesn’t work out, if I still want to play and I still love the game, you never know what the future holds for anybody.

“So I will never say a hard no to the NBL.”

Wall, the No.1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, spent nine seasons with the Washington Wizards after a standout college career at the University of Kentucky. Injury, particularly the 2019 ruptured Achilles where infections during rehab raised fears he would lose his foot, robbed him of a large chunk of his best years. He was once known as one of the fastest players ever to take an NBA floor and boasts career averages of nearly 20 points and 10 assists across 647 games.

South East Melbourne majority owner Romie Chaudhari speaks with former No.1 NBA Draft Pick and Phoenix co-owner John Wall. Picture: Kadek Thatcher/Phoenix Media

With entrepreneur Romie Chaudhari as lead man, Wall is part of an ownership group that features a number of elite-level sportsmen, including Aussie tennis ace Nick Kyrgios, Boomer and Dallas Maverick Dante Exum, and former NBA men Zach Randolph, Al Harrington and Josh Childress.

He’s only been in Melbourne since Thursday, but he already likes what he sees from a Phoenix playing group that is in the top four and sports a number of familiar faces.

“It’s nice to see guys like Alan Williams who I played against and know, I know Mitch Creek, I know Will Cummings, I know Gary played (Kentucky teammate and good friend) with DeMarcus (Cousins) in Puerto Rico and then just getting to know the other guys,” Wall said, as he watched the squad practice at Hoops City South East, in the Melbourne suburb of Carrum Downs.

Former No.1 NBA Draft Pick and South East Melbourne co-owner John Wall (11) with Phoenix import Will Cummings. Picture: Kadek Thatcher/Phoenix Media

“I think we have a great team — we just need guys to stay healthy, that’s the most important thing in sport.

“Keep building chemistry and camaraderie together and just keep working hard. They have a chance to do something special if these guys stay healthy and trust each other.”

Wall says, with a steady stream of potential NBA draft picks choosing the NBL Next Stars program, the basketball fraternity in the US is now taking the Aussie league seriously.

“Well yeah, for sure,” he said, when asked if the NBL was seen as a legitimate pathway for NBA-level talent.

“You look at it and you’ve got a lot of high school guys who are top-ranked coming over and the NBL is getting talked about in a way you probably never thought.

John Wall faces off with fellow NBA star Kyrie Irving. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

“So that’s super exciting and it’s really going in the right direction.

“The more it grows, the more exposure it gets.

“As an owner of a team, I’m trying to let guys (in the US) know it’s a great league to be in, it’s a great opportunity.”

The passing savant said he had kept an eye on teen Illawarra Next Star AJ Johnson, who shares a brotherly relationship with Wall’s former Houston teammate Jalen Green.

“I know AJ Johnson pretty well because Jalen is like a big brother to him,” Wall said.

“We saw how well Lamelo Ball and RJ Hampton did down here as some of the first guys who did it and now we’re seeing more and more young guys start their careers in the NBL.”

Illawarra Hawks Next Star has plenty of keen watchers back in the US, including John Wall. Picture: Getty Images

Wall’s a keen watcher of the Phoenix — often the replays, due to the time difference in the US — but he can’t wait to catch his first live game — a highly-anticipated Throwdown in front of a packed John Cain Arena crowd on Sunday afternoon.

“I always want to try to grow basketball throughout the world and to have the opportunity to be an owner is exciting for me and I’m very excited to see my first game on Sunday and be part of that atmosphere,” he said.

“I’ve heard all about it, the rivalry, and I just hope we come out with a win.”

United sit atop the NBL ladder at 8-2 but a controversial loss to Perth on Cup Eve has the Phoenix, at 6-4, breathing down their necks.

John Wall, in 2010, with then-NBA commissioner David Stern, after being unveiled as the No.1 pick in the draft. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

And United has a number of injury worries in the fallout from that Wildcats defeat, with Next Star centre Ariel Hukporti (knee) most likely to play, while Ian Clark (hamstring) and Luke Travers (concussion) are in serious doubt.

Star guard Matthew Dellavedova will also miss the Throwdown in a huge blow for United after he pulled up with a sore calf on Monday night and wasn’t able to recover in time.

Former Adelaide 36ers scoring machine Daniel Johnson has reinforced the Phoenix as an injury replacement for back-up centre Gorjok Gak, who, last week, pinged a calf, while scoring guard Cummings returns to the line-up after missing last game with a corked thigh.

With less than 500 tickets left on Friday, the battle for Melbourne is all but guaranteed to be a sellout.

Originally published as NBL: Former No.1 NBA draft pick John Wall on his future, the NBL’s growth and his ownership of the South East Melbourne Phoenix