Newark, New Jersey.
The 2011 NBA Draft was held at the Prudential Center and broadcast live nationwide by ESPN.
The event drew enormous attention.
Even before the draft began, fans already knew that this year's class contained quite a few promising prospects.
And as it turned out, this really was a loaded draft class. In the years to come, it would produce plenty of stars, All-Stars, and even superstars.
First and foremost was this year's No. 1 overall pick, Kyrie Irving.
After LeBron left, the Cavaliers had gone straight into tank mode and finished dead last in the Eastern Conference. They ended up selecting Irving with the first pick.
Although Irving's ability to lead a team would often be questioned, there was no denying his exceptional individual scoring ability.
He was absolutely an All-Star caliber starter.
The No. 2 pick, at his best, would average 18 points and 11 rebounds per game, more than enough to justify his draft position.
However, generally speaking, among the top three picks in any draft, there always seemed to be at least one bust.
And this year, that bust was the No. 3 pick, Derrick Williams.
Among the top three selections, Irving would be the only one to become an All-Star.
Yet this draft class would eventually produce seven All-Stars in total.
Besides Irving, there was Kemba Walker at No. 9, Klay Thompson at No. 11, Kawhi Leonard at No. 15, and Nikola Vučević at No. 16.
Then there was Jimmy Butler at No. 30, along with Isaiah Thomas, the 30th pick of the second round and the very last player selected in the draft.
That's right.
Seven All-Stars from a single draft.
And what made it even more impressive was that many of them did not become stars overnight. They improved little by little until eventually reaching All-Star level.
That was what made this class truly remarkable.
Of course, aside from those seven future All-Stars, the class also contained quite a few players who would go on to have very solid, even outstanding careers.
Players such as Reggie Jackson and the Morris twins.
Of course, the future potential of these players, especially someone like Butler or Thomas, was something NBA front offices had no way of knowing at the time.
And so, in the end, Kyrie Irving was selected by the Cavaliers, Kemba Walker by the Hornets, Klay Thompson by the Warriors, and Nikola Vučević by the 76ers.
Kawhi Leonard was selected by the Pacers, Jimmy Butler by the Bulls, and Isaiah Thomas by the Kings.
As for the Suns, because they had finished with the best record in the league, their draft position was near the bottom.
They ultimately selected Tanguy Ngombo with the 27th pick of the second round.
After several hours, the draft finally came to an end.
Fans immediately began heated discussions about this year's class.
"Kyrie Irving is seriously good. I really think that after developing in the NBA for a few years, he could become the next Allen Iverson!
"No.
"He might be great right from his rookie season!"
"Irving's drives are unbelievably smooth. Calling him an 'Ankle Breaker' wouldn't be an exaggeration at all."
"And calling this rookie a 'Ball-Handling Master' would fit him perfectly."
"Irving is definitely good, but I think Klay Thompson is pretty impressive too. He seems even better suited to this era."
"What makes you say that?"
"We're entering the small-ball era. Three-pointers are becoming more and more important, and they're turning into a major weapon for winning games. 'The Emperor' Blake, a center, is the perfect example.
"And Klay is a great three-point shooter too.
"In this year's Pac-10 Tournament, Klay hit eight three-pointers and scored 43 points, setting a tournament record. His shooting ability is seriously impressive.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what Klay can do in the NBA."
"That's true."
"And I heard that Popovich of the Spurs had been eyeing Kawhi Leonard long before the draft. He was determined to get him somehow.
"Unfortunately, the Pacers beat him to it.
"But honestly, Leonard doesn't seem all that special to me."
"Don't talk nonsense. Leonard was named to Fox Sports' All-American Second Team. His ability is definitely nothing to scoff at.
"Of course, maybe Popovich's expectations for him are a little too high."
"No, no, no. I trust Popovich. His eye for talent is usually pretty good. Just look at the current 'GDP' trio.
"I think Leonard will grow into an outstanding player."
"Hehehe, either way, this year's draft class is pretty strong. It might not be as good as the 'Class of '09,' but I think it'll still produce plenty of stars."
"Exactly."
"We'll just have to wait and see."
Fans were very satisfied with this year's draft and were looking forward to seeing this group of talented rookies shine on the NBA stage next season.
At the same time, before the draft ended, every team had been hoping to land the prospect they wanted.
Of course, wanting someone and actually getting him were two different things.
Now that the draft was over, some front offices were celebrating while others were disappointed.
For a team like the Cavaliers, landing a talent like Kyrie Irving was undoubtedly an enormous stroke of luck.
After all, the Timberwolves, who had also tanked in the Western Conference, had a chance at the No. 1 pick too.
Meanwhile, Spurs coach Popovich was clearly unhappy and somewhat frustrated because Kawhi Leonard, the player he had wanted so badly, had been selected by the Pacers.
Still, it was not necessarily a problem.
The trade market would open in another week, and when it did, the Spurs could still try to acquire Leonard through a trade.
At the same time, the opening of the trade market was something every team, and even every player, looked forward to.
For players, especially free agents, a strong performance the previous season could be turned into a lucrative new contract.
They might even become the leader of a team and begin a new chapter in their careers.
For coaches, if their team had only been average the previous season, the goal was to strengthen the roster and improve the following year.
They wanted to go deeper in the playoffs.
For championship contenders like the Heat, the situation was different.
They had paid an enormous price to assemble the seemingly unstoppable "Heat Big Three," yet they still failed to win the championship.
That was a major blow.
But there was no turning back now.
So the only option was to strengthen the roster even further, make the Heat even better next season, and launch another run at the championship.
As for weaker teams, they had another decision to make.
Should they keep tanking in hopes of drafting another talented prospect next year, or was it already time to begin rebuilding?
Those were questions they needed to consider.
However, no matter how teams planned to strengthen their rosters or what trades they wanted to make, there was one man everyone would think of first this summer.
Who?
None other than "The Emperor" Blake, the reigning Finals MVP who had single-handedly led the Suns to the championship.
That's right.
Last season, Blake signed only a one-year, $12 million contract with the Suns.
This summer, he was a free agent.
And that meant he was free to join any team he wanted.