Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal is the rarest kind of star

Despite the chaotic, wear and tear season that’s been suffered by the Washington Wizards, Bradley Beal remains committed to their future.

No John Wall. Lots of young players. An entirely bleak outlook on the season for the Washington Wizards.

None of that stopped Bradley Beal from signing his two-year extension, committing his immediate future (and two more years of his prime) to the Wizards.

And in Marc J. Spears latest for the Undefeated, the shooting guard denies any desire to ever leave Washington. Beal would spend his entire career with the Wizards if it were up to him.

"“For me, I look at Kobe, I look at D-Wade [Dwyane Wade], I look at Dirk [Nowitzki], U.D. [Udonis Haslem], how they can stay in one situation for a long time. I hate change. If it happens, it happens. But if I can control it, I will finish in D.C.”"

This is nothing short of good news for Washington, who are counting on Beal’s prime to carry them into what they hope will one day be a championship. And his commitment to their future, which is short on any promising signs, is pretty rare for a player of his caliber.

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LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Chris Paul. All great players of this generation who’ve requested a trade or left their former teams in free agency in hopes of winning.

But not Beal, who’s having his best campaign yet with the Wizards. He’s second in the league in points per game (30.4), only to James Harden (34.6). He may have not made the All-Star Game, but is a prime candidate for the All-NBA roster once the season ends.

And if he does, Beal will make more history in Washington, on top of everything else he’s accomplished this season. He’ll join nine players over the last eleven seasons to have suffered the All-Star snub, but ultimately given the All-NBA nod.

For the Washington Wizards, they can cross offseason trade drama of the addendum. It’s hard to see Beal asking out after the strong statements he’s made this year to the contrary.

But still, it feels like every year we have one or two players find their way to voicing their displeasure, leveraging the media into finding new homes. Most recently?

Anthony Davis, who after seemingly years, was gifted his long-lasting wish to join LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers. Before him it was Jimmy Butler, before him Kawhi Leonard.

Beal can’t jump ship though. Definitely not yet. The idea of a championship in D.C. holds value above all else, and any other championship would hold an asterisk in Beal’s mind:

"“For me, I am kind of loyal to a fault. I’m kind of like Dame [Damian Lillard] in this realm that it would probably mean so much more to you winning it in Portland or winning it in D.C., because you know you grinding all those years. Then once you eventually come out of that light, I feel like the feeling would be so much grander than necessarily jumping ship. Jumping ship is kind of the easy way out. But at the same time, there’s no guarantee that you’ll win.”"

Lillard is a prime example of just who the rarest of star players are. He’s spent his entire career with the Portland Trail Blazers, seemingly always coming up short to that Finals appearance.

Beal joins him, and not many others, under the label that some competitors are most proud of.

The battle-tested, resilient, and loyal kind of stars that won’t give in, can’t give in.

Bradley Beal may have just joined this list publicly, but he’s been apart of it all along. Ever since fate brought him to the Washington Wizards in 2012.

And if he has it his way, he’ll end this journey right where he started it.

Next. 3 reasons John Wall's return will fix the Wizards. dark

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