Bradley Beal became a man—and the man—in Washington.
He arrived at the nation’s capital as the third overall pick from Florida in 2012, despite being under the legal drinking age of 19.
Beal practically grew up in Washington, made his impact in the neighborhood, and scored points like no one else for the Wizards. Beal is the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, with 1,514. He is also second in career points (15,391), steals (772) and games played (695).
Washington made the playoffs five times during Beal’s eleven seasons. The three-time All-Star was named All-NBA in 2020-21, the season he averaged a career-high 31.3 points.
Mix it all together, and the new Phoenix Suns star guard will get one of those warm and fuzzy receptions in his return game Sunday afternoon against the Wizards (9-39) at Capital One Arena, whether he’s ready for it or not.
“Honestly, (Friday) is probably the first day it hit me, just getting closer to it,” Beal said following his 129-120 defeat to Atlanta. “Being back in the building and seeing familiar faces. I’m not sure what to anticipate or how I’ll feel, but I’m going in with an open mind and heart. Accepting all emotions and embracing love. Whatever I get, I’m going to be thankful for the moments we had here and just take it all in.”