John Wall Details What Community Work Means to Him

LA Clippers guard John Wall has already impacted his new community

Ned Dishman | Credit: NBAE via Getty Images

A leader in the community everywhere he's been, LA Clippers guard John Wall is already giving back to the people of Los Angeles and Inglewood. Recently attending the LA Clippers Foundation's Feed the Community Event, Wall helped distribute food to families in need.

Having arrived in Los Angeles just a few months ago, Wall has wasted no time getting involved in the community. The five-time All-Star has done this everywhere he's been, and according to him, it's something that matters more than his performance on the court.

"Just for me, where I come from, I know the struggle people go through being less fortunate and not being able to take care of themselves or their families during hard times," Wall said. "I wish I always had that opportunity growing up, but we didn't have professional teams there. For me, I don't do it for the camera, I don't do it for attention. What my mom instilled in me, is always being known as a great person is better than just being known as a great basketball player."

Speaking from the parking lot of the KIA Forum, just down the street from where the Intuit Dome is being built, Wall shared the importance of impacting the area the Clippers will soon call home.

"I'm here now with the Clippers, and it's an amazing city to be in," Wall said. "I mean, who wouldn't want to play for this team? Being in a beautiful city like this, whenever you come back and touch the people, that's a big factor in the impact you wanna have... You always wanna touch the environment where you're gonna be at. Kinda like when I was in DC, we was in South East, you wanna touch that area. You're in Houston, you wanna touch that area. So if you're in Inglewood, you definitely wanna touch and impact those people."

Being new to the Los Angeles area, Wall wants to connect with the community right away, which is why he spent his Saturday afternoon helping feed families in need. Coming straight from practice to the community event, Wall was still wearing his team sweats and hoodie, but wanted to make sure he didn't miss an opportunity to connect with the people of his new community.

"My biggest thing is just coming back and touching the community," Wall said. "When I come in and be on a new team, I wanna get that connection with the fans. You know what I mean? Like outside of just being a basketball player, giving back to these people, let them know I'm a normal person just like them."

While never motivated by accolades or attention, Wall said on Saturday that his Community Assist Award in 2016 is one of his biggest accomplishments, and something his mother was really proud of.

"If you take the cameras away, I would still be out here doing the same thing," Wall said. "I think that's the biggest factor. Being able to touch people and let them know you're a normal person just like them... Most important for me, is that a lot of people do stuff for the community, but they don't give their time. I can give them money and just sit at home... but I'm more so about being present. I don't care about the time, just be there time-wise and give your presence. I think if people get to see your face, they love that more than anything."

That last point from Wall was affirmed in real time on Saturday, as the five-time All-Star put a smile on the face of every family he interacted with. Stopping to take pictures with volunteers after the event, Wall truly wasn't concerned about his time, because as he stated, being present is what matters most to him.