John Wall Opens Up About Nearly Committing Suicide In 2020, His Struggles With Mental Health

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John Wall has opened up about his mental health in recent years but during a recent podcast appearance, the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft went into scary detail about nearly committing suicide in 2020.

Wall joined former NBA players Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller on the most recent episode of ‘The OGs’ podcast and explained that he put a gun to his head twice.

"I try to tell people, mental health is serious, so I had to go get a therapist," Wall said. "If it wasn't for my two boys, I would have killed myself. I put a gun to my head twice. A lot of people close to me and my friends at the time didn't know. … Twice I wanted to commit suicide, but I was like man, if I take myself away from this earth I’m failing my kids."

In September 2022, Wall published a powerful piece with The Player's Tribune titled ‘I’m Still Here' in which he revealed that he came very close to taking his own life.

"Listen, I know exactly who I am. I'm a dog," Wall wrote for the Tribune. "I been knocked down and got up off the canvas 100 times. From a skinny little kid growing up in Section 8 in Raleigh to the No. 1 pick - all the ups and downs and the sh-t I've seen? I know exactly who I am, and what I represent, and how many people need to hear this. So I'm not afraid to tell you that I've been in a place that was so dark that suicide felt like the only option."

Wall detailed that his mental health began to suffer in January 2019 when he underwent season-ending surgery on his left heel. He developed an infection in the incision from the surgery then shortly after that ruptured his left Achilles after slipping and falling in his home.

Couple that with his mother, who he calls his "best friend," passing away just a few weeks prior to his initial surgery and the sports world being shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic, and it was an extremely difficult time for the former Kentucky star.

Wall last suited up in the NBA in January 2023 for the Los Angeles Clippers after starting his career with the Washington Wizards where he played for nine seasons.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.