John Wall is 'always reppin' Kentucky as Mark Pope sends new gear

John Wall and Mark Pope have become the best of friends since the latter took over at Kentucky, starting with an in-person meeting at a recruiting event, followed by a podcast appearance, then invites to Lexington for a game and workout with the Wildcats. Now, we have Pope sending Wall some gear with the five-time NBA All-Star ‘always reppin’ his alma mater in the blue and white.

The former Wildcat posted a Kentucky letterman jacket with all of the program’s eight national championships on the back, along with custom Air Force 1s, a hat and playing card — an ace of diamonds with a photo of Wall throwing down a dunk in college.

“Always reppin!!” Wall wrote. “Appreciate the love (Mark Pope) and & (Kentucky).”

John Wall is 'always reppin' Kentucky as Mark Pope sends the Wildcat legend some new gear

The 5-time All-Star got a letterman jacket, custom sneakers, a hat and a custom playing card

Once a Cat, always a Cat.

READ: https://t.co/wamHF0RsRJ pic.twitter.com/4wYdYI7uZc

— KSR (@KSRonX) July 14, 2025

That comes after the 34-year-old reposted a photo with fans — one in a disgusting Duke jersey — rocking UK basketball shorts.

Wall recently jumped on ESPN Radio with Matt Jones to talk about his relationship with Kentucky basketball and his desire to return to Lexington sooner rather than later.

“Kentucky’s always home for me. There’s always love. That’s the school I went to, the jersey I put on,” Wall said in June. “They gave me the opportunity to reach one of my goals and dreams in life to play college basketball, and play on one of the biggest levels for one of the best schools in the country, and a good opportunity to go to the league. So yeah, I’m definitely coming back.”

He doesn’t just want to come to a game or visit the facilities — he wants to compete against the new Cats.

“Mark Pope wrote me this year to ask if I’d come down for the summer if I get the opportunity to play some pick-up or just workout with some of the guys and I’m gonna try find time,” he said.

Wall will always be a Coach Cal guy, but he also appreciates Pope and the momentum he’s building in Lexington. As a lifelong Kentucky fan, No. 11 is confident the program is in good hands with No. 41 leading the way.

“It’s great that he does it his way,” he said. “Cal had it his way, and the people loved it for a while, and now it’s a new transition with what’s going on. So you gotta respect Mark Pope, he’s a guy that has a championship there. He brings a different pedigree with how he wants to coach and do things.”

Once a Cat, always a Cat.