Wizards' John Wall: Money 'not why I play the game'

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Saturday, August 27, 2016

Washington Wizards star John Wallreplied in a video posted online Friday to apparent critics who have voiced concerns over how he is "watching other people's pockets and I'm not worried about basketball and getting better."

"I just wanted to clear the air for all these people," Wall said in a video published to the Twitter feed of theLeBron Jamesmedia platform "The Uninterrupted."

"Listen, that doesn't matter to me," Wall said. "If I produce like I'm supposed to on the basketball court and take care of myself and image, I'm going to be fine with making money. That's not why I play the game of basketball."

Wall's soliloquy comes days after he and fellow Wizards guard Bradley Bealdiscussed their apparently conflicted relationship in interviews withComcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

Beal signed a five-year, $128 million max contract this offseason with Wall in the middle of an $80 million deal that runs through the 2018 season.

"Me, talking about Bradley Beal [making] more money, I'm not mad. I'm happy. He's my teammate," Wall said Friday. "He came out at the right time when the contract money came up. I can't control that."

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