by Makavelli Knight

Created on: August 02, 2010

The 2009–10 NBA season was one of the most memorable and surprising seasons ever. It was also my rookie season. I was drafted by the newly NBA expansion team, Las Vegas Icons. The team colors were gold to reflect with the glamorous casinos and hotels of the Las Vegas Strip, and the color blue that coincide with the main color of the flag.  I was thrilled to be playing for a brand new team in the league full of young, energetic players. As a team, we adopted a fast-paced offense-oriented system which was very fun and entertaining. It was great because we were athletic, fast, and loved the three-point shot which would eventually earned us the nickname “Bomb Squad.”

Coach Grant was a tall, bronze complexioned man with gray hair and striking features. He dressed so immaculate, and looked like he belonged on the pages of the GQ magazines. It was great to be playing for Coach Grant, because he made the game fun for us. He allowed us to play basketball freely as long as we think team first, and play the game the correct way which would allow us to win games and achieve great things.

From the start of the season, I was determined to have an immediate impact in the NBA. Standing at 6’7, and weighing 250 lbs., everyone on the team including the coaching staff knew I had great potential to be a superstar in the league. Facing the Chicago Bulls in my first NBA game, I recorded 60 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 10 steals and shot 100% from the floor. I shattered Wilt Chamberlain’s rookie high of 58 points. Many basketball experts bragged about how I had the purest jump shot in the game and the most accurate 3-point and free throw shooter in the NBA. I instantly became a superstar and the leader of the Las Vegas Icon. Road victories over the NBA’s elite teams like San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic greatly enhanced our reputation. We played so well for the second half of the season that we eventually went on a 15-game winning streak that set us into serious playoff contention. Our fans started really believing that we can do something special in the Playoffs. We manifested their dreams, ignited their passion, and embraced them. It was such a joy making our fans happy! I averaged 37 points as rookie while also earning Rookie of the Year honors. It felt like I was in a movie because it was surreal and such a whirlwind.

We began the Playoffs by facing the red-hot

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