Jan 29, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Former Washington Wizards guard John Wall looks on before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Five-time NBA All-Star and former top overall draft pick John Wall is returning to the Washington.
ESPN reported on Thursday that Wall has become the president of basketball operations at Howard, based in D.C. and a top-ranked HBCU program.
Wall played the first nine seasons of his NBA career with Washington 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, 35, served as Howard’s honorary captain for the team’s game against Norfolk State on Jan. 31. Per ESPN, he reportedly expressed to the school of having an interest in serving as president of basketball operations at the NBA level one day.
Wall will work alongside Howard coach Kenny Blakeney and team general manager Daniel Marks in his new role.
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.
Wall 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
Jan 29, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Former Washington Wizards guard John Wall looks on before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Five-time NBA All-Star and former top overall draft pick John Wall is returning to the Washington.
ESPN reported on Thursday that Wall has become the president of basketball operations at Howard, based in D.C. and a top-ranked HBCU program.
Wall played the first nine seasons of his NBA career with Washington 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, 35, served as Howard’s honorary captain for the team’s game against Norfolk State on Jan. 31. Per ESPN, he reportedly expressed to the school of having an interest in serving as president of basketball operations at the NBA level one day.
Wall will work alongside Howard coach Kenny Blakeney and team general manager Daniel Marks in his new role.
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.
Wall 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
![Deadspin | College basketball’s tallest player Olivier Rioux heads to UC Irvine Florida center Olivier Rioux (32) greets fans after Florida’s 114-55 win over Prairie View A&M of the NCAA March Madness opening round at Benchmark international Arena in Tampa, FL on Friday, March 20, 2026. .[Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] Olivier Rioux, who at 7-foot-9 is the tallest player in college basketball history, has committed to play for UC Irvine. The Canadian center redshirted for Florida during its 2024-25 national championship season and played in just 11 games in 2025-26. “Next stop, Irvine, California,” Rioux wrote Thursday on Instagram. Rioux’s exit follows the commitment of Florida stars Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon to return for the 2026-27 season. Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu has entered the NBA draft but also is expected to return. Rioux finished his Florida career with seven points, six rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes. He had a dunk in the Gators’ first-round NCAA Tournament win against Prairie View A&M on March 20. UC Irvine won the Big West Conference regular season title but lost to Hawaii in the league’s tournament. “We are excited to welcome Olivier Rioux to our program,” Anteaters head coach Russell Turner said. “Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community. He embodies the values that have defined our success at UC Irvine. “We’ve built a strong relationship with Olivier and his family over the years, dating back to his high school recruitment, and that familiarity gives us tremendous belief in who he is both on and off the court. Olivier’s unique skill set and physical presence align perfectly with the tradition of dominant front court players in our program. We believe he will have an immediate impact and continue to grow within our system, and we are thrilled to have him join the Anteater family.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #College #basketballs #tallest #player #Olivier #Rioux #heads #Irvine](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28553879.jpg "Deadspin | College basketball’s tallest player Olivier Rioux heads to UC Irvine Florida center Olivier Rioux (32) greets fans after Florida’s 114-55 win over Prairie View A&M of the NCAA March Madness opening round at Benchmark international Arena in Tampa, FL on Friday, March 20, 2026. .[Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] Olivier Rioux, who at 7-foot-9 is the tallest player in college basketball history, has committed to play for UC Irvine. The Canadian center redshirted for Florida during its 2024-25 national championship season and played in just 11 games in 2025-26. “Next stop, Irvine, California,” Rioux wrote Thursday on Instagram. Rioux’s exit follows the commitment of Florida stars Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon to return for the 2026-27 season. Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu has entered the NBA draft but also is expected to return. Rioux finished his Florida career with seven points, six rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes. He had a dunk in the Gators’ first-round NCAA Tournament win against Prairie View A&M on March 20. UC Irvine won the Big West Conference regular season title but lost to Hawaii in the league’s tournament. “We are excited to welcome Olivier Rioux to our program,” Anteaters head coach Russell Turner said. “Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community. He embodies the values that have defined our success at UC Irvine. “We’ve built a strong relationship with Olivier and his family over the years, dating back to his high school recruitment, and that familiarity gives us tremendous belief in who he is both on and off the court. Olivier’s unique skill set and physical presence align perfectly with the tradition of dominant front court players in our program. We believe he will have an immediate impact and continue to grow within our system, and we are thrilled to have him join the Anteater family.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #College #basketballs #tallest #player #Olivier #Rioux #heads #Irvine")
![Deadspin | College basketball’s tallest player Olivier Rioux heads to UC Irvine Florida center Olivier Rioux (32) greets fans after Florida’s 114-55 win over Prairie View A&M of the NCAA March Madness opening round at Benchmark international Arena in Tampa, FL on Friday, March 20, 2026. .[Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] Olivier Rioux, who at 7-foot-9 is the tallest player in college basketball history, has committed to play for UC Irvine. The Canadian center redshirted for Florida during its 2024-25 national championship season and played in just 11 games in 2025-26. “Next stop, Irvine, California,” Rioux wrote Thursday on Instagram. Rioux’s exit follows the commitment of Florida stars Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon to return for the 2026-27 season. Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu has entered the NBA draft but also is expected to return. Rioux finished his Florida career with seven points, six rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes. He had a dunk in the Gators’ first-round NCAA Tournament win against Prairie View A&M on March 20. UC Irvine won the Big West Conference regular season title but lost to Hawaii in the league’s tournament. “We are excited to welcome Olivier Rioux to our program,” Anteaters head coach Russell Turner said. “Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community. He embodies the values that have defined our success at UC Irvine. “We’ve built a strong relationship with Olivier and his family over the years, dating back to his high school recruitment, and that familiarity gives us tremendous belief in who he is both on and off the court. Olivier’s unique skill set and physical presence align perfectly with the tradition of dominant front court players in our program. We believe he will have an immediate impact and continue to grow within our system, and we are thrilled to have him join the Anteater family.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #College #basketballs #tallest #player #Olivier #Rioux #heads #Irvine](https://i2.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28553879.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | College basketball’s tallest player Olivier Rioux heads to UC Irvine Florida center Olivier Rioux (32) greets fans after Florida’s 114-55 win over Prairie View A&M of the NCAA March Madness opening round at Benchmark international Arena in Tampa, FL on Friday, March 20, 2026. .[Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] Olivier Rioux, who at 7-foot-9 is the tallest player in college basketball history, has committed to play for UC Irvine. The Canadian center redshirted for Florida during its 2024-25 national championship season and played in just 11 games in 2025-26. “Next stop, Irvine, California,” Rioux wrote Thursday on Instagram. Rioux’s exit follows the commitment of Florida stars Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon to return for the 2026-27 season. Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu has entered the NBA draft but also is expected to return. Rioux finished his Florida career with seven points, six rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes. He had a dunk in the Gators’ first-round NCAA Tournament win against Prairie View A&M on March 20. UC Irvine won the Big West Conference regular season title but lost to Hawaii in the league’s tournament. “We are excited to welcome Olivier Rioux to our program,” Anteaters head coach Russell Turner said. “Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community. He embodies the values that have defined our success at UC Irvine. “We’ve built a strong relationship with Olivier and his family over the years, dating back to his high school recruitment, and that familiarity gives us tremendous belief in who he is both on and off the court. Olivier’s unique skill set and physical presence align perfectly with the tradition of dominant front court players in our program. We believe he will have an immediate impact and continue to grow within our system, and we are thrilled to have him join the Anteater family.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #College #basketballs #tallest #player #Olivier #Rioux #heads #Irvine")
