John Wall

I’ve always felt a good barometer of an athlete’s popularity is to ask your wife/sister if they have heard of that particular athlete. If someone with no insight into the sport can tell you a fact about the athlete, he’s a superstar. With this in mind, I was blown away when on Christmas eve my 12-year-old sister told me about John Wall.
(sisters chatting in backseat of car)

Sisters: blah, blah, giggling….John Wall….blah, blah, giggle

Me: Wait, you know who John Wall is?

Sister: He’s a basketball player.

Though unlikely, maybe my sister had been watching basketball. To put this knowledge in context, I made a point of sitting her down by the television on Christmas day while the Heat were playing the Lakers.

Me: Do you know who that is playing for the Lakers? Number 24.

Sister: Umm, no.

Me: How about that guy for the Heat? Number 6.

Sister: I don’t know

Me:  Ok, ok, what about number 3 for the Heat?

Sister: Is that John Wall?!

            Has John Wall really gotten to that superstar status? Well, no. He made a dance which naturally is viewed by preteenage girls with a dire need to fit in and be up to date with what’s popular.

            Imagine though if John Wall became as good as, say, a Deron Williams or Steve Nash. Through merely 16 games of NBA experience, Wall is averaging 15.9 ppg along with 8.6 apg. Hardly superstar numbers, he fails to exceed the numbers of Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (who is underrated, to be fair). However, numbers like these certainly place him among the most impressive rookies in the league outside of Blake Griffin. It wouldn’t surprise me if John Wall ended up a few years from now in the discussion with Derrick Rose for best point guard in the league. And what if that happens?

John Wall would be one of the most marketable athletes in the NBA—like a pre-decision LeBron or a pre-rape accusation Kobe. He is already seen smiling and “doing the John Wall” in the Zigtech shoe commercials. If John Wall turns out to be what people expect him to be, he would be one of the most dynamic figures in sports. He could market anything, transcending the border of sports fans into the depths of teenage girls.

Don’t be surprised if this happens: