Roll The Dice - A Las Vegas Dynasty

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Introduction

Rewind a couple weeks. The Golden State Warriors reconfirmed their reign by adding another championship to their legacy. Possibly one of many more to come, with the addition of Kevin Durant to their already star-studded roster.

Yet, rather than just throwing in the towel, the NBA saw one of the craziest off-season summers in ages take place. With superstars like Kyrie Irving, Paul George and Chris Paul all swapping teams to form new superteam-alliances in an attempt to dethrone the villains, the NBA looked more exciting than ever.

But in the shadows of all this off-season madness, another shocking development was slowly unraveling itself …

P.s.: for the people tagging along: I’m making this story up as my MyLeague unfolds, so I’m very open to feedback and suggestions. Do feel free to comment!

I will mostly let the CPU do it’s thing. But I’m doing 30 team control to keep things realistic, and interfere when LeBron or KD decide to do silly things such as signing with the Brooklyn Nets. Or to create cool storylines and mimic real life trades such as Kyrie - IT etc.

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Take notice
August 15th - Phoenix, Arizona

"... and that's a wrap! Congratulations, mister Belinsky! This is big!"
Viktor Belinsky, nicknamed Vik, could barely hold his excitement as they shook hands. He had just put pen to paper to fulfill his dream. Following weeks of negotiations, he was now the official owner of an NBA franchise.

Born and raised in the US, Vik grew up loving basketball. When he was younger, his father took him to see a Bulls game. Young Vik sat courtside as he watched Michael Jordan drain “The Shot” that kept them in the playoff series against the Cavaliers in ‘89. Vik was left in awe. He would never forget the sensation that rippled through the crowd that very moment. This was pure entertainment at it’s best. And even though his hoop skills were non-existing, Belinsky knew that one day, he would bring such exciting entertainment to the people himself.

Belinsky was no stranger to the entertainment business. His father, a Russian oligarch, owned a number of hotels and casino's in downtown Las Vegas. After graduating from Harvard Business School, he helped forge his father's legacy into a billion dollar empire. But now he had set his sights on his next prey.

Poor management and bad decision making had left the Phoenix Suns franchise in decay, with the team struggling to survive at the bottom of the NBA rankings, happily collecting lottery tickets instead of rings and championships. Ticket sales and fan interest decreased over the last few years, which had led to a severe devaluation of the franchise's value. Vik knew this very well, and used it to his full advantage to drive a hard bargain in his attempted ownership takeover. While the media were still feasting on off-season trade rumors, he had just signed a game changing NBA-deal behind closed doors.

Viktor Belinsky had some big plans, and the NBA world would soon take notice …

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Bright skies, bright future
August 16th - Las Vegas, Nevada

It was another hot summer evening in Las Vegas, Nevada. The setting desert sun left a stunning red glare along the cloudy skyline. Viktor Belinsky had just flown in from Phoenix in his private jet. He lit up a cigarette as he strolled down this part of Las Vegas Boulevard, better known as The Strip.

He slowed down for a moment to admire the fountain spectacle in front of the enormous Bellagio Hotel. What an incredible sight. Sin City has a unique vibe to it. You couldn’t quite compare it with anything else. This was exactly what had him sold on this city when he first walked these streets years ago. People come here for one thing, and one thing only: entertainment. But Viktor was always one step ahead. And he was about to give the people of Vegas the next big thing to be excited about.

He took a right as he approached The Big Apple Coaster & Arcade. And there it was. Right in the very heart of downtown Las Vegas, at Toshiba Plaza, loomed a colossal structure. This was Sin City’s newest entertainment hub: a giant state-of-the-art sports stadium that could hold up to 18.000 people, named the T-Mobile Arena.

Belinsky had invested a great deal of money in this place, and for good reason. This brand new T-Mobile Arena would soon be home to Vik’s newborn creation. Very soon, people here would be buzzing like young Vik did in ‘89. They would have their own team to cheer for. His team. A smirk appeared on Vik’s face at the thought. That’s right, the NBA was coming to Las Vegas, baby!

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Revelations
September 1st - Las Vegas, Nevada
23:40 p.m.

Viktor Belinsky woke up from the annoying sound of his iPhone ringtone. Ever since the news got out, his cellphone had been red hot with gossip-hungry journalists trying to figure out who this mysterious new NBA owner was. The announcement took the league by storm.

Just yesterday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver gave a speech on national television, officially declaring that the Phoenix Suns franchise was no more. The franchise had been sold, would rebrand and be moved to Las Vegas. Las Vegas of all places …

For years, the commissioner had tried to keep the league away from Vegas, due to it’s associations with betting and gambling. An image that didn’t mix up well with the message the NBA was trying to send to the public. But Sin City long had it coming.

Sports betting - obviously - was big in Vegas, but sports events were growing big too. The city had been longing for years to have it’s own sports teams to root and cheer for. And with all the tourists visiting the area year round as well, the market was definitely there. There was big opportunity, and big money to be made. So with the right proposal on the table, the NBA eventually gave in. It was only right for the capital of entertainment, to have it’s own franchise in one of America’s favourite forms of sports entertainment: basketball.

For many fans, losing their beloved Suns franchise came as a total shock. It was a tough blow. Admittedly, the idea of moving to Vegas was intriguing though. Phoenix - Vegas wasn’t that far, and the team was clearly in rebuild mode and needed a fresh start anyways. A new beginning along with the influx of fresh money and fans flowing into the franchise could bring some exciting opportunities. Time would tell …

Belinsky didn’t bother for now. He ignored his phone and went back to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day and he had to be fresh. At 10 am, he had an urgent front office meeting scheduled, followed by a meetup with coach and players. In the afternoon, curious press and fans would be queing in front of the T-Mobile Arena for the official press conference and brand reveal. Vik dosed off again, silently mumbling the speech he had practiced so many times. Tomorrow he would take the stage and proudly reveal his very own, newborn NBA dynasty.

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New beginnings
September 2nd - Phoenix, Arizona
7:30 a.m.

Eric Bledsoe sat back listening to ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City’, his favourite Kendrick Lamar album. The superstar point guard and his former Suns squad were on their way from Phoenix to Vegas to meet their new owner and see the new training facilities. He took off his headphones and turned to his teammate Devin Booker who sat next to him on the plane.

“Yo Dev, where’s TC at though? Did he not get the memo?!”
Booker laughed at the remark. “I bet you he’s still sleeping. He’s getting too old to travel bro”, he replied.

Now Bledsoe chuckled. He looked up over his shoulder and shouted: “Yo Josh, I’m affraid you’re gonna have to go back and wake him up with a kiss lol. Oh and uhm ... he likes his eggs scrambled in the morning!”. The entire team cracked up. This kind of plagiarism just came along with being a rookie in the NBA.

The laughter was good to ease the nerves. No one was going to admit it in front of the squad, but they all shared the same excitement. After all, it’s not every off-season you start over with a new franchise.

As the plane took off into the early morning sunrise, everyone began daydreaming about the future that lay ahead.



September 2nd - Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada
11:00 a.m.

After an extensive acquintance with their new franchise owner, Viktor Belinsky gave the team a tour around the impressive T-Mobile Arena and all it’s offices and facilities. On the ground floor, Belinsky led them into their brand new locker room, where they saw a familiar face waiting.

Belinsky and the man shook hands as he addressed the team: “Gentlemen, as you can see, the team has elected to keep Earl Watson aboard as your head coach for at least another year. We firmly believe in mister Watson’s approach with the young guys we have here and I’m positive this will help smoothen the transition to your new home. In 10 minutes, coach Watson will take you to the practice facility for a short scrimmage attended by the press. After lunch, we will have the official press conference and media availability”.

Belinsky paused and took a breath for what he was going to say next.

“Lastly, as you probably all noticed, Tyson Chandler unfortunately is not here with us today. He was withdrawn from boarding the flight this morning, as he is currently involved in ongoing trade talks. I'm afraid he likely will not return. Tyson has been absolutely fantastic for the team, and he has been a great mentor and leader through difficult times. But me and the franchise’s front office have decided it is time to head in a new direction, and go all in on our youth movement we have here.”

“Tyson has been very understanding and cooperative in working together to find the best possible situation for both him and our franchise. We have a great vision for our future here in Vegas. I hope every one of you shares the same excitement. If we work hard, big things will come to this franchise and this city. So let’s get to work, shall we?!”

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Showtime!
September 2nd - T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
17:00 p.m.

Hundreds of curious fans lined up in front of the impressive T-Mobile Arena, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite players. Behind closed doors, the exclusive brand reveal event and press conference was taking place. Viktor Belinsky straightened his shoulders, fixed his hair and cleared his throat before opening the door to the press conference room. This was it. Oh how long he had dreamt of this moment ... Belinsky entered, accompanied by head coach Watson and the team.

Inside, all local and national media had gathered. Chairs were limited, so people were standing all over the place. The room was jam packed from front to back. The noisy chaos made room for dead silence when Viktor Belinsky walked up to the mic.

“First of all, I want to thank you all for being here. This is an exciting day for me, the team, the association and surely many sports fans and NBA fans alike. For years, Las Vegas has been home to the NBA Summer League. We even had the pleasure of hosting the infamous NBA All Star game. But today is a first. Ladies and gentlemen, this marks the start of a new era. I know many of you have been waiting a long time for this. It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Las Vegas’ very own NBA franchise: the Las Vegas Dice!!”

Under loud applause and sounds of dozens of cameras flashing simultaneously, the new team name and logo’s appeared on the big screen. Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker and rookie Josh Jackson - the franchise’s cornerstones - each stepped up and took off their overshirts, unveiling their fancy new Las Vegas Dice’ jerseys.

“Ladies and gentlemen, of course we must stay humble and realistic. Rome wasn’t built in a day. With the situation we have here, we do not expect to compete immediately. But we firmly believe in our front office, our coaching staff and the youth movement we have here. Stick through with us, as I’m sure exciting times lie ahead of us. We have rolled the dice, and we are here to stay! You better believe we have something special cooking here, and the NBA world better take notice. People of Las Vegas: it’s showtime!”

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Meet the league's new kid on the block: Las Vegas Dice

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