Last week, John Wall confessed to having considered suicide, after losing his mother, his grandmother and being injured, all in just a few months. Strong words, which have touched several NBA players.
Until his former teammate Marcin Gortat. The pivot had shared five seasons (2013-2018) with the Wizards with the new Clippers playmaker and becoming aware of this discomfort upset him.
“I was in shock”explains the Pole, to Basketball News. “I didn’t know he had been through so much. I witnessed, a few years ago, when I was his teammate, this episode with little Miyah Telemaque-Nelson, with whom he was very close and who died of cancer. He raised funds for her, and I remember her passing touched him. He burst into tears, after a meeting, to dedicate a match to him. He was really touched for several weeks. So to hear that a former teammate has contemplated suicide is devastating. We had our little problems in the past, but I support him above all. “
“A lot of people owe John Wall an apology”
The former Orlando player obviously did not remain insensitive to the words of the former Washington All-Star. He even had some regrets.
“When I heard he had lost his mother and grandmother, I thought back to when Miyah Telemaque-Nelson left. When I read this interview, I felt bad. As a former teammate, I should have supported him even more. Yes, I sent him a few texts when he was in Houston. I knew he was tough, with a team that didn’t want him. I knew it was catastrophic for him, because he loves basketball so much. But losing loved ones must have been difficult. “
And the criticisms of the player, during his time in Houston in particular, seem very unfair or even futile for Marcin Gortat, in the face of the tragedies that struck John Wall.
“It’s pretty unfortunate what’s happening in the media now, but that’s how the league works. A lot of people owe John Wall an apology. I understand the idea that the media have things to write or say that will create controversy. That way it attracts attention. They are paid for it. But those who know Wall know they’ve been unfair to him. He’s not perfect, nobody is, he makes mistakes like everyone else, but he’s not the one we portrayed. “
Who is he then? “I played with him for several seasons: in good health, he is clearly one of the best point guards in the league. It’s a monster. “
