NBA: Road to glory

The flight back to Orlando was silent. No music. No jokes. Just a deep, aching emptiness in my chest.

I barely spoke on the way home. No calls. No texts. Just me and my thoughts.

The moment I stepped into my apartment, I turned off my phone.

That last play. Tobias' shot. The block.

I didn't sleep that night. I just sat there, replaying it over and over.

June faded into July. The world moved on, but I didn't.

No parties. No vacations. I didn't go home to New York.

Didn't check social media. Every post about the Finals, about my rookie season, felt like a joke. My family couldn't understand why I was like that, for them I had an excellent rookie season but I know I could have done it.

So I did the only thing I could.

I worked.

I called up my trainers and told them one thing.

"We're working. Every day. No distractions. I want to be in the gym."

That became my life.

5 AM, wake up. Cold shower.

Straight to the gym. 6 AM – 9 AM

Strength training. Explosion work.10 AM – 1 PM

Shooting drills. Hundreds of jumpers. Mid-range. Threes. Free throws.

3 PM – 6 PM, One-on-one sessions. Defending different matchups.

Post game. Footwork. 7 PM – 10 PM, Conditioning. Swimming. Anything to make me stronger.

Sleep. Repeat.

Just basketball. Trainers were the only people I saw.

That was the mindset. No distractions. No outside noise. Just me and the grind.

I was coming back stronger. Faster. Smarter.

I was not going to feel that pain again.

Next season?

Nobody was stopping me.

Before I even realized it, October had arrived, and the NBA was shifting.

LeBron James returned to Cleveland. The Cavs were now an instant contender. Kevin Love joined LeBron. Another big three was forming.

I knew the Warriors were rising.

For Orlando? We didn't make flashy moves, but that didn't matter.

I had changed.

I walked into training camp a different player. No more BS.

The 2014-15 season started exactly how I wanted it—we dominated. Our record? 38-2.

But behind the scenes? Things weren't the same.

Possession after possession, the ball was in my hands. And we were winning because of it.

Game after game, the same story, 41 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists. Win.

Against the Bulls, 38 points. Another win.

Versus the Cavs, 45 points over LeBron. Another W.

Dropped 50 on Boston. Blowout win.

But in the locker room? Tension.

After another win, Tobias Harris tossed his towel down in frustration.

I looked up.

"Y'all mad we winning? Ain't that the goal?"

Vucevic sighed.

I exhaled, wiped the sweat off my face, and threw my jersey into my bag.

"Look, I get it. But after what happened last year? I ain't leaving no doubt. We winning this thing. No matter what."

The room went quiet. Nobody argued.

We were crushing the league.

The 2014-15 season continued at an insane pace. We didn't slow down. We didn't let up. Game after game, we were crushing teams—blowing them out, suffocating them on defense, and running up the score.

By the time the regular season ended, our record stood at 71-11.

I got voted in as a starter for the All-Star Game, but this time? No dunk contest. No Rising Stars. 

I was here to do one thing.

And I did just that.

MVP – Back-to-back.

Defensive Player of the Year – Again. 

First Team All-NBA.

First Team All-Defense.

Scoring Champion – 36.5 PPG.

Final Season Averages, 36.5 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 3.2 APG.

It was a season for the history books.

But none of it mattered if we didn't finish the job in the playoffs.

The Celtics were young, scrappy, and well-coached, but they weren't ready for us.

-Game 1

We set the tone immediately. I scored 14 points in the first quarter, bullying their defense inside and out. Boston tried to counter with Isaiah Thomas' scoring, but our defense suffocated him.

By halftime, we were up 20 points. I coasted in the second half, finishing with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists as we took Game 1, 114-88.

-Game 2 

Defensively, we forced Boston into tough shots all night. Final score: 118-92.

-Game 3

The crowd was hostile as hell, but I loved it. They were chanting all game, but the moment I hit my first three, I turned to the crowd and shushed them.

Boston fought hard, but they just didn't have the firepower. Isaiah Thomas had 24 points, but we overwhelmed them. I closed the game with a fadeaway over Jae Crowder.

Final score, 108-95. Up 3-0.

-Game 4 

Boston threw everything at me—double teams, full-court presses—but nothing worked. I finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists, and we swept them with a 105-90 win.

One round down.

-Second Round 

Toronto had Lowry, DeRozan, and a deep squad, but just like last year, they weren't ready for what we brought to the table.

-Game 1

We ran them off the court. I dominated the paint, getting to the line at will. Lowry and DeRozan tried to keep it close, but our defense locked them up.

Final score: 121-98.

-Game 2 

This one was a war. Toronto led by 8 in the fourth quarter, but I turned it up. Three straight buckets, a chasedown block on Lowry gave us the momentum.

We won 109-105. Up 2-0.

-Game 3 

Toronto's crowd was rowdy, but I fed off it. DeRozan started hot, but we clamped him down in the second half. I had a triple-double (32-14-10), and we pulled away in the fourth.

Final score: 110-97.

-Game 4

Toronto fought hard, but I wasn't letting them take a game. The Raptors led by 6 at halftime, but I came out of the break locked in.

Scored 20 in the third quarter alone, shutting down any hope they had.

Final score: 123-101.

Another sweep.

Next LeBron and Cleveland.

The next day...

My phone rang again. It was Dom.

Me: "What's good?"

Dom: "Big news, Pres. Puma is ready to go all-in on you. They're launching your own signature shoe next season."

Me: "Already?"

Dom: "Already. You're a 2 times MVP. Back-to-back DPOY. Best player in the league, and you're only 20. Honestly they are late."

I leaned back in my chair.

Me: "What's the plan?"

Dom: "They're aiming for a launch right before the start of next season. Special design, your own branding, heavy marketing push. This is gonna be big."

Me: "Man… I appreciate y'all."

Dom: "Franklin, you're carrying this brand right now. Puma knows exactly what they have with you."

I couldn't help but smile. My brand was growing.

Me: "Alright, let's do it. Let's make this shoe."

Dom: "That's what I like to hear. Focus on Cleveland. We'll handle the rest."