Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal recently opened up about his rookie season with the Washington Wizards, recalling how losing games became a routine part of the team’s culture. In a candid conversation on the Run Your Race podcast, Beal shared how the team’s consistent losses affected not just morale, but the overall mentality of the players.
“You get to a point where you’re like, ‘We’re gonna lose anyway,’” Beal reflected, via HoopsHype. He explained that the constant defeats led to a loss of passion among the team, with players becoming desensitized to failure. “The guys around you aren’t mad anymore. And you just start looking forward to the first and 15th, the paychecks,” he added.
For Beal, who was eager to succeed in the NBA, this environment was challenging, especially as a young player. “When you’re young, that’s when it really messes with you because you’re still passionate, but the guys around you aren’t.”
During Beal’s rookie year in 2012-2013, the Wizards struggled, finishing the season with a 29-53 record. This placed them near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The team’s frequent losses contributed to a culture where losing became a regular expectation, something that Beal now looks back on as a formative, yet difficult, part of his career.
Individually, Beal showed promise in his first year despite the team’s struggles. He averaged 13.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 38.6% from beyond the arc. These numbers indicated his potential to become a key player in the league, but the losing culture surrounding the Wizards made his rookie experience a tough learning curve.
In the years following his rookie season, Beal continued to develop into one of the NBA’s top shooting guards. However, the early struggles with the Wizards left a lasting impression. It took several seasons before Washington found consistent success, with Beal and fellow All-Star John Wall eventually leading the team to multiple playoff appearances.
