New Houston Rockets guard John Wall said farewell to his former NBA city in a tweet Thursday, writing that he will "always have love for DC."
The Washington Wizards traded Wall to the Rockets on Wednesday along with a lottery-protected 2023 first-round pick for former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.
"Where do I even begin?" Wall wrote in his tweet. "Ten years is a long time to think back on. I came to DC as a skinny 19 year old with big dreams and goals. You embraced me and my family with open arms. You rocked with me from day 1 until now."
Thank You DC. pic.twitter.com/Pgwe8BdDWq
— John Wall (@JohnWall) December 3, 2020
Later Thursday, Westbrook posted his own goodbye message to Houston and thanked "the Rockets organization for believing in my ability to make an impact and making my time in Houston a great experience."
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) December 3, 2020
Both Wall and Westbrook had been seeking the trade. In Houston, Wall will partner with James Harden in the backcourt under new Rockets coach Stephen Silas.
Wall, 30, hasn't played since Dec. 26, 2018, missing two seasons with injuries to his Achilles tendon and knee. During the offseason, Wall has shown to have regained a great deal of his quickness and explosiveness. He is still owed three years and $132 million on his contract.
In his tweet, Wall wrote that he will always remember his time with the Wizards.
"I may not wear the jersey anymore but I will never forget what it meant to represent for y'all," Wall wrote. "This isn't the way I thought I would say goodbye to this city, so I won't. ... I will say THANK YOU!"
Westbrook wrote in his tweet that he's "looking forward to my next chapter with the Washington Wizards next season and getting back on the court."
