The Washington Wizards are now faced with a free throw epidemic while on the road with opposing fans chanting “John Wall Hates You!”
It all started last Wednesday at Atlanta. John Wall missed the Wizards’ blowout win due to personal reasons, as he did not travel with the team there. Bradley Beal went to the free throw line and the pro-Hawks’ crowd first chanted “John Wall Hates You!”
Hawks fans are back at it 😂
Days after yelling 'Draymond hates you' to KD, they're yelling 'John Wall hates you' at Bradley Beal pic.twitter.com/V3wu87auOD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 6, 2018
Initially, the chant was more so an Atlanta thing. Their previous home game they’d done a similar thing to Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, chanting “Draymond Hates You,” referencing the sideline argument the two had last month that landed Green a one-game suspension by the team.
Both instances were unique to Atlanta. For the Wizards it was funny at the time, one to brush off. That is until Monday night in Indianapolis. Facing the Indiana Pacers, every Wizards player, not just Beal, was serenaded with “John Wall Hates You!” chants.
“John Wall hates you” chant every time a Wizard shoots FT’s in Indiana tonight @WorldWideWob pic.twitter.com/Dsy5YAN5rq
— Jackson Kinney (@JJJJacksonBoone) December 11, 2018
Fans are now chanting "John Wall hates you" with Thomas Bryant at the line. So, I think this is just a thing now.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) December 11, 2018
"John Wall hates you" chants for whoever is shooting FTs. yall ppl cold #PacersWiz
— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) December 11, 2018
What made Indiana’s chant different from Atlanta’s was the fact Wall was in attendance, sitting on the bench as he sat out the 109-101 loss with an heel injury.
Here in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, there's a fan section chanting "JOHN WALL HATES YOU!" whenever a #Wizard player goes to the free throw line (they did this in ATL too when Beal shot FTs)
But this time Wall is on the bench and hears it & gestures with his palms up at the chant
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) December 11, 2018
The chants are peculiar as the Wizards are struggling through an 11-16 record. Reports and rumors have surfaced about dissension within the Wizards’ locker room, stirring fans perceptions about the relationships of the players, particularly Wall and Beal whether right or wrong.
Last month, a practice turned ugly when Beal got into a heated argument with teammate Austin Rivers which sparked Wall getting into it with Jeff Green. Wall then cursed out head coach Scott Brooks as Brooks tried to intervene, prompting Beal to turn his frustration at general manager Ernie Grunfeld.
Then there was Stephen A. Smith, who reported an anonymous Wizards player told him Wall walks over Scott Brooks and it “frustrates everybody [else].”
As the losses amount, many analysts and fans point to the Wizards needing to make a roster shakeup, including blowing up the current roster by trading Wall. With all the negative headlines swirling, it will be no surprise if the Wizards will endure more “John Wall Hates You!” chants for the foreseeable future.
We shall see. The next available chance will be Dec. 14 when the Wizards visit the Brooklyn Nets. Then they’ll take a second trip to Atlanta on Dec. 18, where it all began.
