John Wall named president of basketball operations at Howard University
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five-time NBA All-Star John Wall has accepted the position of president of basketball operations at Howard University, the school confirmed Tuesday.
The appointment brings Wall, 35, back to the city where he spent the first decade of his NBA career with the Washington Wizards. Officials said discussions began on Jan. 31, when Wall served as Howard’s honorary captain and expressed interest in running an NBA front office one day.
Since agreeing to the role, Wall has participated in staff meetings, helped evaluate recruits and transfer candidates, and worked on the program’s long-term strategy. His responsibilities include roster construction, name-image-likeness (NIL) initiatives, revenue sharing, agent negotiations, and player mentorship. He will collaborate with head coach Kenny Blakeney and general manager Daniel Marks.
Howard is one of only five mid-major programs from one-bid conferences to reach the NCAA tournament three times in the past four seasons. The Bison earned their first tournament victory this year by defeating UMBC.
Wall retired last August after averaging 18.7 points and 8.9 assists across 11 NBA seasons with the Wizards, Houston Rockets, and LA Clippers. His peak year came in 2016-17, when he posted 23.1 points and 10.7 assists for Washington, earning All-NBA third-team honors. The 2014 Slam Dunk Contest champion also made the NBA All-Defensive second team in 2015, but injuries limited him to fewer than half of his team’s games in each of the last six seasons, including two full seasons away from the court.
The move continues a recent trend of high-profile players taking college front-office roles. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry became an assistant general manager for Davidson College’s basketball programs last year while still active in the NBA, and current Washington Wizards guard Trae Young accepted a similar position at Oklahoma, pledging a $1 million donation to his alma mater.
Source: ESPN
