It was a first-time experience and I'd seen it happen to players time and again, players coming and going. One thing the Pistons organization liked about me was they liked having me around and they couldn't see Detroit without the Dog. It got up to the ninth hour and management informed me that no player is untradeable, but you shouldn't think you'll be traded this season even though you'll be a free agent at the end of the year. They told me they'd try to sign me back.

JYD shares his thoughts on being traded. (Ron Turenne/ NBAE/Getty Images)

That evening, I watched ESPN. The Pistons players jokingly said, "We better hope none of us got traded." Nothing was said and the trade deadline was 5 p.m. At 7 p.m., on our way back to the practice facility, I get a call from a New York reporter, who's a Georgetown alumnus, who told me I was traded to Toronto. By this time, I'd heard every trade rumour and I told him he should check his sources because I hadn't been traded, it's too late, that sort of thing. He said it just came across the newswire. I said, "Let me call you back."

As soon as I hung up the phone, my lawyer told me I was traded. This is all new to me; I'd never been traded. I'd heard from a reporter and my lawyer; where are the Pistons in all of this? At that point, I'm in shock. I was already on my way back to the practice facility; I said my goodbyes to whoever was there. By the time I got home, the media was calling, cameras were coming over for interviews and three or four television networks were outside of my house. I said goodbye to my dog pound in Detroit.

Glen Grunwald was going to send a plane for me, because a team has basically 48 hours to make your move. I said, "Send a plane? What's the drive to Toronto? Three or four hours? I'll be there tonight. Let me just grab my shoes!" I made sure it was okay with my wife and she said she'd be right there with me.

I had a couple of good games in Toronto when I was with the Pistons and I was getting cheers. I remember thinking, this is a nice city.

I attribute this to my Georgetown days. We played the last college game at Maple Leaf Gardens; we won a game against Memphis in overtime on a shot at the buzzer by Allen Iverson. It was amazing to get that kind of response from the Canadian fans, and I attribute that to the man upstairs and to the fans' love. I just want to make sure I'm giving that back.

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