John Wall began suffering pain in his left knee in 2013 with it escalating in 2014 and becoming unbearable in 2015.

“I’ve been in pain for the past three years,” Wall told Scott Brooks when he became head coach of the Washington Wizards.

Wall was quietly going through three hours of treatment for patellar tendinitis in his left knee on a daily basis. 

“Three years of misery,” Wall said. “I couldn’t do extra practice, couldn’t take extra shots, couldn’t improve my craft.”

In January 2016, Wall left agent Dan Fegan for Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, who had been following him for years. “I think you have another level,” said Paul, who is based in Cleveland. “I don’t think you’re right.”

Paul took Wall to see Dr. Richard Parker, who removed a five-millimeter bone spur from Wall's left knee. Wall keeps a photo of the prehistoric saber tooth looking spur on his phone. 

“Nobody saw the real John Wall,” said Wall.

Wall became the first player ever to average at least 20 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, two steals and .5 blocks. 

“Some people get their success early,” Wall said. “Some get theirs late. I feel like my time is just beginning.”

The Washington Wizards announced in March that they would wear their white stars-and-stripes uniforms for all home playoff games this season. The Wizards' alternate home jersey became popular after they wore them for six military themed home games.

“We listened to the fan feedback and saw the same thing you did, and we got everyone’s blessing,” said Hunter Lochmann, a senior VP of marketing brand & strategy at Monumental. “It was a no-brainer, quite frankly. Players, fans, management, you name it: People loved the uniforms.”

The jerseys, however, are no longer available for fans to purchase. The Wizards sold out their entire supply before the start of the postseason and no additional orders will be made since the NBA is switching from Adidas to Nike.

“Unfortunately, the way uniform ordering goes for retail, there’s a long lead time,” Lochmann said. “If we wanted to order more, we wouldn’t have gotten them until June. It was disappointing, because we saw how popular they became, but it is what it is. There’s not really anything we can do about it.”

Players have said they would like to continue wearing them more often next season.

“These are so popular, we need to take a look at bringing them back in the future,” Lochmann said. “It’s been universal internally with all the key stakeholders.”

John Wall assumed a bigger leadership role for the Washington Wizards after they were unable to sign a star free agent such as Kevin Durant or Al Horford.

The Wizards spent several seasons planning to have cap space for the 2017 free agency class.

“It put more pressure on me to be the main guy, to be the guy. I think it made it a role of, ‘OK, you’re the franchise guy,'” Wall told The Vertical. “I went back this year with a mind-set of, ‘This is definitely my team. We have to get it going.’ If I don’t lead these guys, on the court, in practice, show leadership off the court, talking to guys, talking in the locker room, we’re never going to get to where we want to go, never going to get to the promised land. We have an opportunity to do something special.”

Wall steps onto the court with the mind-set that he always belongs amongst the game's best players.

“That’s how I’ve been thinking this season,” Wall told The Vertical. “And that’s why I think I’ve been playing a lot better and not just going at guys, but having that mind-set when I step on the court. If I’m going against a LeBron or Kevin Durant, I might not be the best player overall than them, but in my mind, I’m the best player on that court. For me to know that I can take my game to another level and a lot of my peers appreciating what I’m doing this season, saying it’s a heck of a season you’re having, all I can do is use that as motivation because it’s a lot of guys I looked up to.”

The Brooklyn Nets are expected to pursue both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Otto Porter in restricted free agency.

Both Caldwell-Pope and Porter will be restricted free agents this offseason.

During last year's offseason, the Nets signed both Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson as restricted free agents to offer sheets. The Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat matched the Nets' aggressive offers for both Crabbe and Johnson respectively.