John Wall #1 of the Houston Rockets
John Wall #1 of the Houston Rockets Getty Images | Carmen Mandato

KEY POINTS

  • John Wall and Russell Westbrook are out to prove their star potential
  • Westbrook vows to bounce back against the Rockets this coming February
  • Wall wants to prove that the Wizards gave up on him too early

John Wall and Russell Westbrook are restarting their respective NBA careers with new clubs as both men try to prove they still got game.

Of the two, Wall has had a history of struggling with injuries and such is believed to be one of the reasons why the Washington Wizards agreed to trade him.

Most know by now that Westbrook was the player that the Wizards got from the Houston Rockets. The trade made sense as the two teams try to start new eras with different stars.

With that being said, the level of competitiveness of the two All-Star guards was evident. It reached a new level when the Rockets and Wizards met for the first time since that blockbuster trade in December.

Both Wall and Westbrook jawed at each other in the fourth period in what seemed to stem from trash talking. The Rockets came out with a 107-88 win, and both addressed the incident after the game.

On the part of Westbrook, he made it clear that he would not back down from anyone who starts talking dirty to him. He claims he was just defending himself, but it appears this developing feud is far from over.

"So, you know, it's cool, though. We play them again," Westbrook said in a report from ESPN.

For Wall, it appears the issue goes beyond Westbrook. Like most teams who give up on a player, he is determined to show that he is no over-the-hill cager.

"I just feel like the organization thought I was done, no matter how much hard work I put in over the summer. They came and watched me. I thought they thought I was done. That's why I came out here and did what I did," Wall stated.

He also goes on to point out how Westbrook has dominated him over the past years. But despite the heated incident, he still brands the former NBA MVP as a remarkable talent.

One player who felt it wasn’t a big deal was DeMarcus Cousins. Like what most would say, “Boogie” explains it was nothing more than two players just being competitive.

"That’s nothing. Just two competitors. Trash talking is a part of the game, as much as they don’t want it to be. Two alphas," Cousins stated.

Russell Westbrook #4 of the Washington Wizards
Russell Westbrook #4 of the Washington Wizards Getty Images | Carmen Mandato