Bradley Beal: 1st Game in Washington Since Wizards-Suns Trade Was 'Awesome'

In his first game in Capital One Arena as a visiting player, Bradley Beal had a memorable day.

Beal scored a season-high 43 points on 16-21 shooting and helped the Phoenix Suns cruise to a 140-112 win over the Washington Wizards, the team that he played the first 11 seasons of his career with. He added six assists, two rebounds, and two steals in just 31 minutes of action.

"Tonight was awesome," Beal told the media after the game. "You know, to be back in the city that has helped me grow as a man, from drafting me on my 19th birthday, being here for 11 years, there were a lot of good memories and that tribute video was awesome."

The three-time All-Star received a tribute video prior to tip-off that elicited cheers from Wizards fans, as he left the team in 2023 as the No. 2 all-time scorer in franchise history behind Elvin Hayes.

"I guess I know this gym a little bit," Beal joked following the win, as he also ranks No. 3 on Washington's all-time games played list.

He blossomed into one of the league's best scorers since he was selected in the 2012 NBA draft, experiencing immense individual success despite lacking a consistent supporting cast around him after five-time All-Star point guard John Wall was slowed down by injuries.

Beal averaged over 30 points per game from 2019 through 2021, becoming the sixth player since the NBA-ABA merger to achieve that feat at the time. He finished his Wizards tenure with career averages of 22.1 points and 4.3 assists per game on 46.0/37.2/82.3 shooting splits.

"I was blessed to be in a great place for 11 years," Beal said immediately after the game, admiring the tribute video that he received.

"It was a great appreciation, a great love back, so I'm very grateful for it," he added.

For the Suns, the win moved them up to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. Phoenix is now 10-3 over its past 13 games as the star-studded trio of Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant has gotten healthy.