John Wall responds to Stephen A. Smith report about partying: 'If you don't like it, you can hike it'

Washington Wizards guard John Wall doesn’t think he’s partying too much. Wall downplayed a report from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that suggested Wall has been frequenting a popular nightclub in Washington, D.C.

Appearing on “First Take,” Smith claimed he had received pictures of Wall partying at a club called Rosebar.

Smith makes sure to mention Wall’s situation “off the court,” and his “off-field habits” in his usual boisterous cadence. By doing so, Smith implies Wall’s partying has become the priority over his play. Or that Wall doesn’t care that the Wizards have gotten off to a rocky start.

Wall must have heard about Smith’s rant. While he didn’t deny going to Rosebar occasionally, Wall downplayed the entire situation and delivered a shot to Smith.

Wall made those comments during an Instagram Live video. During that same video, Wall said he recently left practice and was relaxing. He added, “Don’t tell the fans I said that. They think I’m supposed to stay in the gym all day.”

The 28-year-old Wall has performed as expected on the court this season. Through 10 games, he’s averaging 21.5 points and 2.5 steals per game.

With the Wizards sitting at 2-8, everything Wall does will be put under a microscope. Until the team’s record improves, Wall’s off-the-court activities will be used as a convenient scapegoat for the Wizards’ struggles.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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