Without him, the franchise still may not have recovered. Without him, the community may not have been so dedicated and loyal. Without him, the Portland Trail Blazers may not be the organization is today.
With him, Portland climbed its way out of the Jail Blazers crevasse and emerged into the light as the franchise it once was: a contender.
After just five seasons of heroism and leadership, Brandon Roy elected to hang up the Nikes and salvage what was left in his ailing knees.
The decision comes just days after the Trail Blazers decided not to use the amnesty clause to release Roy to see what the face of the franchise had left in the tank.
According to The Oregonian, doctors evaluated Roy’s knees and told Roy “You can’t do this. You might end up not walking.”
It marks a tragic end to what could have been an historic career, which included becoming the third Trail Blazer to earn Rookie of the Year honors, three all-star appearances and leading Portland from a miserable 21-61 record in 2005-2006 to a 54-win season in 2008-09 and three-straight postseason bids.
Roy finishes his career averaging 19 points per game on 46 percent shooting to go along with 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game as he dug Portland from the depths of the Jail Blazer era to a consistent playoff-appearing club.
The Natural’s best season came in 2008-09, when he put up 22.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, finishing ninth in MVP voting.
His most memorable outing, however, came at the end of an injury-riddled, controversial season, during which Roy underwent double knee surgery midway through the year. Despite criticism and skepticism, Roy returned to the floor and delivered one of the most historic performances in NBA Playoff history.
Despite shooting a combined 1-for-8 from the floor for 2 points in the first two games of the opening round of the playoffs, Roy came through when Portland needed him, netting 16 points and four assists off the bench in leading the Trail Blazers to the Game 3 win.
What happened next shook the NBA world.
In Game 4, with Portland trailing by an insurmountable 23 points, Roy erupted. The Natural went off for 18 fourth-quarter points, including the game-winning jumper late in the game, as the Trail Blazers put together a 40-15 run to even the series and become just the third team in the shot clock era to overcome an 18-point deficit heading into the final period.
“Honestly, I don’t really know what I was feeling,” Roy said afterwards. “I just felt really good but at the same time when they were grabbing me, I just needed to embrace someone. It was one of those feelings where I was just happy to have their support. It still just doesn’t feel real yet.”
Neither does the most recent news surrounding the Rose City icon.
Roy revitalized the Trail Blazers. With leadership from head coach Nate McMillan, Roy molded Portland into one of the most scrappy and resilient franchises in the NBA.
That is legacy. He set the standard of a never-say-die attitude and leaves behind a club that never gave up on him. He leaves behind a league that has nothing but respect for him, as shown by the reactions of star players on Twitter.
On the Rose Garden floor lays Roy’s heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears. He became arguably the greatest leader in franchise history and a popular what-if subject.
His degenerate knees can take away his career, but one thing holds true: Roy was a savior, a hero. He was the foundation for what the Trail Blazers are today. He was and forever will be the Natural.
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