Immediately after purchasing the team, Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis was gifted the opportunity to select a franchise-changing player in 2010.
John Wall, the first overall pick, was compared to then-MVP Derrick Rose. His face was plastered on every billboard throughout Kentucky and his speed was used to sell signature Reebok shoes before he even stepped foot onto an NBA court.
But reality was different.
Wall, just 19 years old, wasn’t ready to carry the team one year removed from college – especially one that was as poorly constructed as the Wizards.