Wizards' John Wall throws down highlight-reel dunks in season opener

John Wall is cold-blooded.

The Washington Wizards’ 27-year-old All-Star point guard wasted no time flexing his muscles in the team’s season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, showing the NBA community the first of what should be many highlight-reel plays this season.

With 2:40 left in the first quarter, Wall threw down a thunderous left-handed dunk over Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot that left Wall fired up as faced the crowd. Before he got to the rim, Wall had already sent Sixers backup point guard T.J. McConnell to the ground after an unsuccessful attempt at flopping that allowed Wall an open lane to the hoop.

But Wall wasn’t done. Late in the third quarter, the 27-year-old point guard flew past Luwawu-Cabarrot again on his way for another left-handed slam to put his team up 82-74 with 3:33 left in the third quarter.

Then with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Wall was on the receiving end of an alley-oop slam that gave the Wizards a six-point lead headed into the final stretch of the night.

Wall finished the night with a team-high 28 points in a 120-115 Wizards win over the 76ers at Capital One Arena. Despite taking 28 shots, only three away from his career high, the sold-out crowd serenaded him with M-V-P chants.

It was an auspicious start to the season for Wall, who told The Undefeated on Tuesday that he had high hopes for the season, especially wanting to “dethrone” LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers:

During a conversation with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst before the season started, Wall made his case to be in the MVP discussion.

“I feel like I am the best point guard in the Eastern Conference,” Wall said. “Maybe people didn’t get to see me on national TV as much last year, but they will this year.”

“I want to be in the MVP conversation. My expectations are very high.”