John Wall Speaks At Length About Charlottesville

"It's kind of amazing to think that in 2017 and going into 2018, that we're still dealing with the same type of things that our great, great grandparents dealt with."

John Wall spoke at length about the Charlottesville, Va. white supremacist rallies when he met with media after his charity event in Washington, D.C. 

"It's very important [to give back], especially with what has been going on the past week or so in our country and the tough times that we're dealing with," the 26-year-old point guard said, per CSN Mid Atlantic. "I want the kids to understand that no matter what goes on, you can't use that to try to target nobody else. We're all one whole family. Even though we're different races, we're still one big family. We have to work to try to get things to as best the situation we can and keep it positive," he explained.

"It's been difficult. It's been tough. We go through times where things are going in the right direction for us and our country is going in positive ways, then we revert back to the stuff we try to tell our kids not to do, that our parents told us not to be. We are going through what we went through in the past when we thought we got away from that. It's kind of amazing to think that in 2017 and going into 2018, that we're still dealing with the same type of things that our great, great grandparents dealt with. We thought we were going in a positive direction. All we can do is not use it in retaliation. Try to stay positive and understand that we need to give these kids a brighter [outlook]. Don't use it to go back at these people."

John Wall Could Own the East Sooner Than You Think

Scores of white supremacist groups flocked to Charlottesville, Va. last weekend to protest the taking down of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. The groups marched on the University of Virginia campus with torches and chanted racial epithets and derogatory chants. There were multiple skirmishes between the white supremacist groups and counter-protestors, and one woman was killed when a white supremacist drove a car into a group of counter-protestors. 

Wall is open and honest with reporters—he recently gave an in-depth analysis of the Kyrie Irving situation— but he's been tight-lipped when discussing politics until now. When asked his thoughts on Trump's election victory, Wall declined to comment, though he did crack a wry smile.