John Wall is in Las Vegas for Memorial Day Weekend where he spent Saturday at LIQUID Pool Lounge partying and smoking hookah with singer/actress Christina Milian as well as rappers Lil’ Wayne and Meek Mill, fellow NBA player Maalik Wayns and others:

photos via @christinamilian, @cassiiemelinda_

While countless teammates, friends, celebrities and even The White House showed unconditional support for Jason Collins when the 12-year NBA veteran announced he’s gay, others didn’t share the same reaction, including ESPN’s Chris Broussard. On Monday’s episode of ESPN’s ‘Outside of the Lines,’ Broussard, a Christian, stated he’s against homosexuality in an editorial in 2009, and explained Monday that he believes homosexuality is a sin and living as an openly gay individual is “walking in open rebellion to God” – which can be viewed as extremely offensive to Collins, who identifies as a Christian.

His comments came under fire on Twitter and social media, but of course, Broussard is more than welcome to his own opinion – check out the  full quotes from the show, transcribed by Ben Golliver, Blazers Edge:

“I’m a Christian. I don’t agree with homosexuality. I think it’s a sin, as I think all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is. [ESPN's] L.Z. [Granderson] knows that. He and I have played on basketball teams together for several years. We’ve gone out, had lunch together, we’ve had good conversations, good laughs together. He knows where I stand and I know where he stands. I don’t criticize him, he doesn’t criticize me, and call me a bigot, call me ignorant, call me intolerant.

“In talking to some people around the league, there’s a lot Christians in the NBA and just because they disagree with that lifestyle, they don’t want to be called bigoted and intolerant and things like that. That’s what LZ was getting at. Just like I may tolerate someone whose lifestyle I disagree with, he can tolerate my beliefs. He disagrees with my beliefs and my lifestyle but true tolerance and acceptance is being able to handle that as mature adults and not criticize each other and call each other names.

“… Personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly premarital sex between heterosexuals, if you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexuals, whatever it may be, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I do not think the Bible would characterize them as a Christian.”

– Chis Broussard, ESPN, 4/29/2013

 

 

Rapper A$AP Rocky narrates the new adidas spot as All-Star point guard, Jrue Holiday, Rookie of the Year candidate, Damian Lillard, and former No. 1 overall pick, John Wall, are insanely quick in the “Quick Ain’t Fair” campaign to promote the adidas Crazyquick.

Two years ago, John Wall threw an epically horrible first pitch at the Washington Nationals game. Let’s just say it didn’t exactly cross the plate. Thursday, he got the chance to redeem himself from what had to be one of the worst first pitches of all time. This time, the Wizards point guard went in with a plan, intending to “just lob it” this time. It worked much, much better.

Roy Hibbert took exception when John Wall called the Pacers bigs “soft” after the Wizards beat them on Saturday night, telling Scott Agness of Pacers.com:

“You have to tip your hat off to those guys. They’re changing their season around before they go fishing.

“[Wall] can say what he wants to say. He’s entitled to it. He’s a good player. We have a chance to compete for a championship. They have a chance to compete for the No.1 pick.

Shots fired! But, what Wall actually meant in saying the Pacers bigs were soft was in reference to the defense they showed him – which allowed him to have a dominant offensive night, scoring 37 points – 26 in the first half.

Wall’s “soft” quote, again from Scott Agness:

“Just coming out, we talked about it before the game that their bigs were playing soft. My bigs did a great job setting screens. I came out focused tonight and I was able to knock down shots right away.”

Wall didn’t have a chance to fire back at Hibbert’s gone fishing comments because the two made up on Twitter and “cleared up somethings” over the phone, according to the Pacers big man.

@hoya2apacer appreciate it big homie..never said Indy has soft bigs just said they play a soft concept in pick and roll…they got good bigs

— John Wall (@John_Wall) April 8, 2013

 

John Wall covers DC Modern Luxury’s latest issue, appearing in the “Men of Style” feature alongside seven other fashion forward DC men, including Redskins’ Josh Morgan and Capitals’ Mike Green.

photos via DC Modern Luxury

via Jeff Dufour, DC Modern Luxury:

John Wall’s game isn’t the only thing that distinguishes him within the confines of the Verizon Center. At Wizards games this season, the All-Rookie point guard and new face of the franchise has stepped out in everything from plaid jackets and colorful sweater vests to boldly pinstriped suits and skinny ties. “I like to be different,” says the 22-year-old North Carolina native. “You don’t want to get the same suit as everybody.” (That preference is also driven by his size: At a lanky 6-foot-4, he has all his suits custom-made.) When he’s away from the limelight, the former No. 1 draft pick can often be found bowling, driving his Porsche Panorama or entertaining his nieces and nephews. There, you might find him sporting shoes from his extensive sneaker collection and denim from Nudie Jeans or, his favorite, G-Star. “That’s my nickname, everybody calls me G-Star,” he confides. And, yes, he confirms, it’s perfectly possible to do the bicep-flexing “John Wall Dance”­—­­which became a YouTube sensation­—in just about any attire: “You’ve just got to move your arms, so it’s not that hard.”

John Wall and the Wizards attended the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday morning. Joined by other athletes including the NFL MVP, Adrian Peterson and NASCAR’s Danica Patricks, the Wizards took part in “Eggtivity Zone” where they played basketball and other sports with kids.  Joining them was President Obama, who maybe could have used some help from a Wizards shooting coach – he missed 20 of his 22 shot attempts.

 

John Wall had arguably the best performance of his young career Monday night, posting a career-high 47 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in a 107-94 home win over the Grizzlies.

During the third quarter of Saturday night’s game at Oracle Arena, John Wall, who already had one technical, was knocked to the floor by Warriors’ Klay Thompson as they were both fighting for a loose ball. Wall took exception to the contact from Thompson and wasn’t shy about it, jawing at him before a referee handed Wall his second technical and tossed him from the game. While the Wizards went on to outplay the Warriors in the fourth quarter, they came up short, losing 101-92.

After mistaking Trevor Ariza’s airball for a game-winning “dagger” Wednesday against the Pistons, Wizards announcer, Steve Buckhantz, made sure he got the right call Friday night.

Well, this doesn’t happen often. Watch and listen as the Wizards announcers animatedly call the final possession for the Wizards in Wednesday night’s game and mistake an airball for a game-winning three by Trevor Ariza.  Classic.

 ”Ariza, baseline, DAGGER!!! Ariza from the baseline for three and the Wizards with a miraculous comeback in Washington….they’re saying it did not go….”

Whoops.

h/t: Eye On Basketball