With the news coming out that Brandon Roy will announce his retirement due to his degenerative knee conditions, it just becomes another instance of what Blazers fans have sadly become used to: A promising career derailed by injuries.
Bill Walton was spectacular for the Blazers, and led them to their only championship after the 1976-1977 season, including winning the NBA Finals MVP after Portland defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Walton was only able to play in 63.7% of the Blazers games, and his seemingly dominant career was derailed by perpetual foot and ankle problems.
Sam Bowie, who was famously drafted ahead of future all-time great Michael Jordan, played just four years in Portland (the same as Bill Walton), but played in just 42.3% of the team's games, and also battled knee issues for the rest of his career. Unlike Walton, Bowie never quite put up the kind of numbers in his career that could ever give Portland fans an argument he was the right pick (10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks).
Greg Oden was drafted in 2007, and along with Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, was supposed to be the core of future title contenders. Like other Portland big men before him, Oden has really struggled with injuries, playing in exactly 25% of the teams games in his first four years. Now with news coming out that Oden has suffered a set-back in his rehabilitation from microfracture surgery, Oden may not play at all this season. If that were the case, and Oden were to return to Portland healthy at the start of the 2012-2013 season, Oden won't have played in an NBA game since December 5th, 2009, which would make his absense almost 35 months.
Roy has arguably had more success than any of the previous three players, as he won Rookie of the Year for the 2006-2007 season, made three All-Star games in his five NBA seasons, and was a vital part of the Portland's transition from the embarrassing "Jail-Blazers" era to the leader of a team the city could be proud of, both on and off the court.
While it's sad to think of a once-promising career coming to an end, I'll remember B-Roy most for some of his memorable performances. His ridiculous 18-point fourth quarter performance in Game 4 of their first round series against eventual champion Mavericks team, rallying Portland from an 18 point deficit, is one that will live in Blazers lore for generations to come.
While retiring his number is entirely up to the Blazers, I feel his play and leadership on the court, as well in the locker room, should make this decision a no-brainer. On behalf of all Blazers fans, I'd like to take this opportunity to say "Thanks for the memories, Brandon".
No comments:
Post a Comment