WASHINGTON – In this era of unprecedented superstar movement, when pledges of commitment can be quickly flipped into trade demands or free-agent departures, John Wall had the easy part down when presented with the chance to commit his prime to the team that drafted him: He wanted to be in Washington.

When he hops on a scorer’s table and shouts, “This my city!” – as he did after his game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston – Wall truly means it. Wall might rep Raleigh, North Carolina, and one season in Lexington, Kentucky, established the deepest of bonds, but Washington is home. He also has one of the more unique connections to the NBA community that he represents because he plays basketball in the hometown of his late father. So, unlike other stars who have been in similar positions, Wall wasn’t approaching with wandering eyes the expiration date on his tenure.

“I think a lot of players want to be in a certain place. Who wouldn’t want to be in L.A.? Who wouldn’t want to be in Miami? Those are amazing cities. Well, I’m in one of the best cities you want to be, in D.C. So I’m fine,” Wall told The Vertical, explaining why he agreed to a four-year extension worth $170 million that starts in 2019 and should keep him with the Wizards through 2023.

Despite speculation that Wall was delaying his decision with plans of pressuring the team for roster changes or plotting his eventual escape, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said he knew Wall would sign the deal because of his “loyalty.” But the L-word Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna like to sing about gets thrown around so much that people tend to forget that it requires reciprocity from both ends to truly work. And the reason Wall and the Wizards have latched themselves to one another for the foreseeable future is because they haven’t been eagerly seeking alternatives.

From the time he first arrived at Verizon Center – with a police escort from Dulles International Airport, an over-the-top greeting with red carpet, balloons and hundreds of fans applauding from behind velvet ropes – the morning after going No. 1 overall in 2010, Wall has always felt the love from the Wizards. They handed him the franchise before he knew what to do with it, handed him his first maximum extension before he had made an All-Star team or a playoff appearance. And, they have consistently made him the foundation of their plans – even if that meant giving bigger contracts to his less-established teammates to maintain continuity in an exceedingly pricy economic environment.

Leonsis has invested more than $400 million over the past two summers to keep Bradley Beal and Otto Porter and to reward Wall with the third-richest contract in NBA history. Beal and Porter benefited from the salary-cap spike that turned the $86 million extension Wall received in 2013 – when Wall was coming off a serious knee injury – into one of the league’s best bargains. Wall just had to wait his turn for the generational, nine-figure hook-up.

“My kids’ kids’ kids should be fine,” Wall told The Vertical about the $207 million headed his way over the next six years.

John Wall smiles at his news conference to announce his contract extension, with Wizards owner Ted Leonsis in the background. (Getty Images) More

Entering his eighth season, Wall will have the league’s seventh-longest tenure with the same organization. During this calendar year, fellow 2010 draft mates DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, Gordon Hayward and Avery Bradley have all changed teams, leaving Wall as the last player from his draft class who remains with his original team.

“That’s crazy, it’s shocking to me,” Wall told The Vertical. “You never know where you can be, anything can happen. I’m just glad I can be one of those guys that can say, ‘I’m still here.’ My ultimate goal is to try to be one of those guys that play my whole career with one team.”