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John Wall Reportedly Met with Marcin Gortat to Clear Air After Critical Comments

Rob Goldberg@TheRobGoldbergX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistFebruary 14, 2018

Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) talks with Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (13), from Poland, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon/Associated Press

After they each made a critical public statement, Washington Wizards teammates John Wall and Marcin Gortat reportedly met privately to clear the air, per Chris Haynes of ESPN.com.

Wall has been out since Jan. 25 with a knee injury that will sideline him for up to two months.

Gortat initially caused waves around the league when he apparently slighted the five-time All-Star point guard in a tweet:

Marcin Gortat🇵🇱 @MGortat

Unbelievable win tonight ! Great "team" victory!

After the Wizards won their first five games without Wall, there was talk about the team being better off. When he was asked about it on ESPN's The Jump, he clearly wasn't happy.

"It was kind of shocking to hear a couple people say the ball is moving a lot better when that's what I pride myself off of, being more happy when my teammates are scoring than I am," he said last Tuesday, via ESPN.com.

He had even harsher comments for Gortat.

"It was more just shock to hear it from him, understanding he gets the most assists from me and the most spoon-fed baskets ever," Wall said.

According to Haynes, both players requested the meeting, but "there is still more work to be done to fully repair that relationship."

Wall is expected to return before the end of the season and will have to reintegrate himself into the lineup before the postseason. The Wizards are tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 32-24 record after Tuesday's games. They have reached the conference semifinals in three of the last four seasons.