Howard tabs John Wall as president of basketball ops

Five-time NBA All-Star and former No. 1 overall draft pick John Wall is returning to Washington, D.C.

The longtime Washington Wizards point guard was named the new president of basketball operations at Howard on Thursday.

“Stepping into this role is something I’m truly excited about,” Wall said. “Washington, D.C., has always been my second home, and it means a lot to me to be able to come back and pour into a community that’s given me so much. Howard is an HBCU program that’s proving to the world that Black Excellence has no limits. To be part of what is building here and help shape the future of these young men is something I take a lot of pride in.”

Wall, 35, will work alongside Bison head coach Kenny Blakeney and team general manager Daniel Marks.

Wall served as Howard’s honorary captain for a game against Norfolk State on Jan. 31.

“We call our program The Dream Factory because we believe anything is possible for the young men who commit to playing at Howard,” Blakeney said. “When John served as our honorary captain this season, we learned his dream was to run an NBA front office. Given his expertise and community ties, this opportunity became a natural fit. I look forward to this role serving as a launching pad for his NBA executive career.”

Wall has already started working with the program during the transfer portal cycle, which included landing a commitment from former North Carolina center James Brown.

Wall played his first nine seasons in the nation’s capital after being selected by the Wizards with the top overall pick of the 2010 draft out of Kentucky. He averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 573 career games (561 starts) with Washington.

Wall, who did not play in 2019-20, was involved in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Rockets on Dec. 2, 2020, that saw Russell Westbrook sent to Washington. The Wizards sent Wall and a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to the Rockets for Westbrook and a lottery-protected first-round pick in the same 2023 draft.

He played one season in Houston (2020-21), sat out the 2021-22 season with an injury and came back to compete in 34 games with the Clippers in 2022-23. He officially retired from the NBA on Aug. 19, 2025.

–Field Level Media