Five-time NBA All-Star John Wall was arguably the most coveted recruit in the nation as a high schooler, and according to him his college career nearly played out very differently.
During a recent podcast appearance, Wall revealed that he was poised to join the North Carolina Tar Heels -- until an unfavorable interaction pushed him toward Kentucky, where he starred for one year before becoming the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Wall, discussing his recruiting experience on the "Run Your Race" podcast hosted by Theo Pinson, said he was all set to enroll at home-state UNC until he got big-timed by former Tar Heels standout and future fellow NBA player Tyler Hansbrough during a recruiting trip.
"I wanted to go to Carolina," Wall said. "That's my dream school. ... They're the only one who could have got me to not go play for Coach Cal [John Calipari]. ... So I go on the visit with Ty Lawson and them there. Tyler Hansbrough got his own section -- him and his homeboys. I'm the recruit. I walk up and say 'what up,' and he said 'I don't talk to recruits.'
"I was like, 'F-- you, I'm ain't coming here.' That messed it up right there. I really went up to shake his hand. He be the National Player of the Year, just won a national championship. ... I'm like, 'I need to meet Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough. This is a dream come true for me.' The dream school, I loved growing up. He did that, and I was like 'I got something for him.'"
However, Hansbrough quickly took to social media to refute Wall's version of history -- and even took a shot at Calipari.
"The story @JohnWall told on @tpinsonn podcast DID NOT HAPPEN!" Hansbrough tweeted. "100% FALSE! I’m sure the bank of Calipari had nothing to do with him going to Kentucky."
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