brandon roy

Brandon Roy vs. Carmelo Anthony: Merry Christmas in May!

Brandon Roy vs. Carmelo Anthony: Merry Christmas in May!

By Jamie Hudson May 26, 2020 9:04 PM

Wasn’t it crazy seeing former (but at the time future) Trail Blazer Arron Afflalo in a Denver Nuggets jersey!?

What? Was Afflalo not the one who came to mind?

Okay, but for real, it’s a trip to think about Carmelo Anthony’s NBA journey, especially witnessing him in his prime with the Nuggets.

For Trail Blazers fans watching the 2009 Christmas Day Game between the Blazers and Nuggets on NBCSNW Tuesday night, who would’ve thought that 10 years later Melo would be a Trail Blazer?  

This Trail Blazers Classic Game was an instant classic for both Brandon Roy and Carmelo Anthony.

The B-Roy vs. Melo showdown was extra special in front of a sold out Rose Garden crowd. (86th consecutive sell out).

And boy, were Trail Blazers fans giving it to the Nuggets forward!

Melo picked up his fourth foul with just under eight minutes remaining in the third, and that ignited the Blazers crowd. It also helped that Martell Webster drained a corner three, but it’s funny to think about how much a fan base can give an opposing star player so much grief and now show him so much love.

Roy carried the Blazers in the scoring department, helping Portland beat Denver, 107-96.

Heading into this Christmas game, the Blazers were 13-2 in Christmas showdowns.

Roy went 9-of-14 from the field to score 25 points in the first half and continued his scoring tear in the second half.

It seemed as though Melo was prompted to drive it hard to the hoop or make sure he scored on the baseline following any Roy bucket at the other end. 

Roy’s 41 points in the win was a franchise Christmas record.

The Trail Blazers guard learned from his Christmas Day game experience the year before when he went 8-for-20 from the field in a 102-94 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Melo finished with 32 points. At that point of the season, he was the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 30.3 points per game.

After more than 10 years since this game was played, Rip City shared its emotions thinking about how much they miss watching B-Roy.

Seeing Roy in his fourth season in the league battle it out against Melo in his seventh season, makes it hard to not think about Roy still playing in the league today. 

During the Trail Blazers 2009-10 season, Roy averaged 21.5 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds.

Anthony averaged 28.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.

Roy’s 41 points on Christmas tied him for 5th in the NBA for points on Christmas Day since 2000. 

The two players were, of course, critical scorers and leaders for their teams.

At 35 years old, Melo brought what felt like Christmas cheer to the Trail Blazers this season.

Now as we eagerly await the NBA’s decision on if/when the 2019-20 season will resume, and what the 2020-21 season could look like, just imagine the Trail Blazers hosting the Denver Nuggets next season with Melo still wearing a Blazer uniform.

That would be fun!  

Be sure to check out the full Talkin’ Blazers Podcast with host NBA Champion Channing Frye and Emmy Award winner Dan Sheldon.

Trail Blazer fans react to Brandon Roy's game-winner: The Natural will always be loved in Rip City

Trail Blazer fans react to Brandon Roy's game-winner: The Natural will always be loved in Rip City

By Jamie Hudson May 05, 2020 9:07 PM

The final seconds of overtime in the Nov. 6, 2008 battle between Portland and Houston were quite a rollercoaster of emotions.

It was just the fifth game of the season for both teams. The Trail Blazers squeaked out a 101-99 victory over the Rockets thanks to Brandon Roy.

Roy first hit a 21-foot jumper with 1.9 seconds left in overtime to put Portland up 98-96.

There are several highlights of this game online, but as PDX Timmay points out it’s hard to find it in its entirety.

Whether it was Houston’s Tracey McGrady and Yao Ming or Portland’s Brandon Roy and Rudy Fernandez, there were many players in this game NBA fans loved to watch back in the day.

Ming was averaging 18.8 points while shooting 47 percent from the floor to go along with 10.3 rebounds through the first four games of the season.  

Trail Blazers fans were also excited to see Channing Frye in a Blazers uni. And what about the Vanilla Gorilla? This 2008-09 squad had many fan favorites including Joel Przybilla.  

When Ming completed an old fashioned three-point play to give Houston a 99-98 lead, Roy went to work with 0.8 seconds left in OT. He took the inbounds pass from Steve Blake, elevated from 30 feet and drained the three-pointer.

Roy finished the game going 6-for-18 from the field with 17 points as the Rose Garden crowd was treated to the thrilling two-point victory over the Rockets.

Roy had scored his second field goal of the game at the 3:05 mark of the third quarter to put the Blazers up 70-66.

Houston finished the game on a 19-7 run to rally back and force overtime. At the end of regulation, it was all tied up at 90. 

Rewatching the Roy-game-winner had Rip City feeling a certain type of way.

There was and will always be so much love for B-Roy.

How to Watch: Brandon Roy's 30-ft buzzer-beater against the Rockets in 2008

How to Watch: Brandon Roy's 30-ft buzzer-beater against the Rockets in 2008

By Jamie Hudson May 05, 2020 9:00 AM

Tuesday’s game marks the first of three themed Trail Blazers Classic games of game-winners.

For this one we are throwing it back to November 6, 2008 when the Trail Blazers squeaked out a101-99 victory over the Houston Rockets thanks to Brandon Roy.

The finals seconds of this game were quite a rollercoaster of emotions.

Did we mention this game went to OT?

Roy first hit a 21-foot jumper with 1.9 seconds left in overtime to put Portland up 98-96.

But then, Yao Ming completed an old fashioned three-point play to give a Houston a 99-98 lead.

So, B-Roy went to work with 0.9 seconds left (sound familiar?), Roy took the inbounds pass from Steve Blake, elevated from 30 feet and drained the three-pointer.

The Rose Garden crowd was treated to the thrilling 101-99 win over the Rockets.

Roy finished 6-for-18 from the field and had 17 points in the win. 

LaMarcus Aldridge added 27 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers, who snapped a five-game losing streak Houston. Before the 2008 victory, the last time the Trail Blazers beat the Rockets was back on Dec. 20, 2006.

Starters for Blazers vs. Rockets on Nov. 6, 2008:

HOUSTON

Luis Scola

Metta World Peace

Yao Ming

Rafer Alston

Tracy McGrady

PORTLAND

LaMarcus Aldridge

Joel Przybilla

Steve Blake

Brandon Roy

Nic Batum 

HOW TO WATCH: The Dec. 2008 B-Roy buzzer-beater vs. Houston 

WHEN: Tuesday, May 5 at 6:30pm 

Channel: NBC Sports Northwest, Channel 737 (Portland), 617 (Seattle)

CHANNEL FINDER

Stream the game here.  

Or stream the game on your phone with the 'MyTeams' App -- available in the App Store for iPhones and on Google play.

Check out the full slate of Trail Blazers Classic Games right here.  

Brandon Roy could have been a 'walking triple-double'

Brandon Roy could have been a 'walking triple-double'

By Dylan Mickanen April 10, 2020 4:42 PM

How great was Brandon Roy?

In 2010, Kobe Bryant was asked who the hardest player to guard in the Western Conference was. The Black Mamba answered with no hesitation. 

Roy 365 days, seven days a week. Roy has no weaknesses in his game. - Kobe Bryant

Now ten years later, Roy's former teammates Travis Outlaw and Channing Frye reminisced about Roy's diverse, all-around game. 

On the latest episode of Talkin' Blazers with Frye and Dan Sheldon, former Trail Blazer Travis Outlaw joined the show to talk about his time in Portland, including what made Brandon Roy special. 

I told Brandon I was like...Brandon Roy could have easily been a walking triple-double if he wanted to. - Travis Outlaw

He has a point.

Roy averaged 22.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 2008-2009 when he made the All-Star team and got Portland home-court advantage in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Those numbers may not seem to be close to a triple-double, but Portland played with the second-slowest pace in the NBA that season with only 88 possessions per game. 

Travis Outlaw knows a thing or two about late-game heroics, even earning the nickname Mr. Fourth Quarter for his time with Portland. In his podcast appearance, him and Frye remembered when the game got close Roy would always step up to get the win.

"He liked to put on the cape a lot," said Outlaw.

"We down six? Here we go!" Frye added. 

"Let me go put the cape on!"

"Two minutes to go down ten? Here we go... Every single time." 

Dwight Howard may have wanted to be Superman, but Brandon Roy played like it down the stretch. So much so that Blazers would frequently win games they had no right winning with him running the late-game offense.

Whether it was breaking the hearts of Houston (multiple times) before Damian Lillard made it cool, returning to the Rocky theme against Phoenix, or spearheading a historic comeback in Game 4 against Dallas in 2011; Roy always would come through when Rip City needed him most.

You can listen to the full podcast here.

Brandon Roy's No. 7 deserves to be retired by the Trail Blazers

Brandon Roy's No. 7 deserves to be retired by the Trail Blazers

By Chris Burkhardt March 30, 2020 9:27 AM

To retire a number or not to retire a number. That is the question. 

And that the debate that Trail Blazers fans have widely debated in relationship to No. 7. 

The No. 7 was last worn by Brandon Roy in 2011 and since that time the number has been untouchable. 

Mo Williams chose to wear No.7 in 2013, but days later changed to No.25. 

In 2019, the Blazers traded Caleb Swanigan to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Skal Labissiere. Upon arriving in Portland, Labissiere reportedly asked if he could wear No. 7, but was told by the team that it wasn't available. 

Not even future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, famous for wearing No. 7 in New York, couldn't get his hands on it. When Anthony was signed he was given a list of available numbers, and No.7 wasn't on it. He instead chose 00.

The odd part about all of this is that the Blazers have never officially retired No. 7. There is no Roy banner in the rafters at Moda, but should there be?

On Sunday night, NBC Sports Northwest aired another Trail Blazers Classic Game, this time featuring Roy's heroic performance against the Mavericks in the 2011 playoffs. 

On that night, Roy went off for 24 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter to help the Blazers erase a 23-point deficit and pick up the win.

Two games later, Roy played his last game with the Blazers.  

There is little doubt that Roy is a Trail Blazers legend, but anytime you see his highlights or talk about his greatness the inevitable question gets asked: Should the Blazers retire No. 7?

The fact of the matter is, Roy is one of the greatest players to wear the red and black. While he never won a championship with the Blazers, or took them deep in the playoffs for that matter, he did something far greater given the time in history - He rescued Portland from the Jail Blazers era. 

The year prior to Roy's arrival the Blazers finished with a 21-61 record, tied for their worst record since the 1972-73 season, and their second-worst season in franchise history.

Players like Sebastian Telfair, Darius Miles, Ruben Patterson, and Zach Randolph continued to have issues on and off the court, and attendance was at an all-time low. 

Then Roy came along. He took over as a leader and face of the franchise from day one. He won NBA Rookie of the Year, turned the league on its head, and ushered in a new era. 

By his third season, all remnants of the Jail Blazers were gone, and after hitting the lowest of lows prior to his arrival the Blazers were now riding high. Roy led the team to a 54-28 record in 2008-2009, tied for the fifth-best record in team history. In 2009-2010 the Blazers once again won 50 games, making it just the third time in franchise history Portland had back-to-back 50 win seasons.

Unfortunately, the Blazers lost in the first round of the playoffs in both of those seasons, but Roy's status as the franchise savior was already set in stone. He could do no wrong.

The quick rise of Roy and the Blazers came to a screeching halt in 2011 when Roy's knee problems forced him to retire. His time in Rip City was short, but his impact will last a lifetime. 

Roy will forever be known as the man that helped save the franchise. The player that helped usher in a new era of Blazes basketball. A man the helped a city get over the Jail Blazers era. 

That is why No. 7 is untouchable. 

The Blazers know it. That's why they wouldn't give it to Labissiere or Anthony, and won't give it to anyone else coming through the doors in the future. 

There is something so special about the No.7. Should the Blazers retire it and hang Roy's name in the rafters where it belongs? 

Absolutely. 

No. 7 was Roy's then. It's Roy's now. It's Roy's forever. 

Social Media Reaction to Brandon Roy's 4Q comeback: So much excitement and sadness

Social Media Reaction to Brandon Roy's 4Q comeback: So much excitement and sadness

By Jamie Hudson March 29, 2020 6:59 PM

Rewatching the first three quarters of the April 23, 2011 Trail Blazers and Mavericks first round Game 4 made fans appreciate Portland's fourth quarter comeback even more.

The Blazers shot 28 percent from the floor through two and a half quarters.

In the third quarter alone, Portland went 3-of-18 from the field. 

So, instead of focusing on the game early on, Rip City Faithful was concentrating on the players that they love and miss.

In the first three games of the series, Dallas had outscored Portland by an average of, 94-89.
Those were some close games.

But then, the Blazers comeback happened in Game 4 after Portland was down by as many 23…

Or we should say, Brandon Roy HAPPENED!

 

The Trail Blazers outscored the Mavs, 35-15 in the final period and Roy finished with 24 points off the bench. LaMarcus Aldridge added 18. 

Roy’s 18-point-fourth-quarter performance will never be forgotten in Rip City. 

Former Trail Blazer Brandon Roy hoists third high school basketball trophy in four years

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@WIAA

Former Trail Blazer Brandon Roy hoists third high school basketball trophy in four years

By Lindsey Wisniewski March 09, 2020 10:48 AM

He was Rookie of the Year in 2006, a three-time NBA All-Star, and who can forget the 18-point fourth quarter in the Portland Trail Blazers miraculous comeback victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

Kobe Bryant called him the hardest player to guard in the West, and he was right, Brandon Roy was special. 

Roy’s body, however, betrayed him. He had a lack of cartilage in his knees, causing a grinding sensation when he played, and he was warned his degenerative knees could cause him problems later in life. Unable to perform, Roy walked away from the one thing he’d always known. 

But rather than dwell on a playing career that had been stripped from him far too soon, Roy decided to stay around the Seattle basketball scene, scoping out the area’s best talent. 

At 32, Roy officially made his return to hoops, taking the helm as head coach at Nathan Hale. He lured the Porter brothers, Michael, Jontay, and Coban, to join him. Building around that elite talent, Roy took a 3-18 team to a 29-0 overall record, a 15-0 district record and a WIAA 3A State Championship. He was awarded the Naismith National High School Coach of the Year trophy for his dominant run.

One season later, Roy returned to his alma mater to become leader of Garfield boys basketball. He led Garfield to its first Class 3A state championship since 2015, before taking a sabbatical from coaching in 2018-19 to focus on his children and himself. 

Roy returned to Garfield this season with a fresh perspective and another mission: To lead his Bulldogs to a sixth-state championship in six years. In B-Roy fashion, he did. 

Garfield took down Metro League rival and defending state champion O’Dea in a lopsided victory, 69-44, on Saturday night. This trophy is Brandon Roy's third in four years and second at Garfield. 

Roy may have never gotten his storybook ending in the NBA, but "The Natural" is writing his own story this time around. 

Setting the record straight on some Trail Blazer misinformation

Setting the record straight on some Trail Blazer misinformation

By Dwight Jaynes January 18, 2020 8:09 AM

Setting the record straight on some Trail Blazer misinformation that is on the verge of becoming fact to people who weren't there.

  • The whole idea that Trail Blazer fans quit going to games because they didn't like the "Jail Blazers" is not true. In fact, many times I watched those fans give standing ovations to J.R. Rider, Ruben Patterson and the rest -- as long as they were winning. There was no rebellion at all during those times -- as long as the team was playing well. The revolt came when it became obvious that the team, as it was assembled, was not going to win. Then, and only then, did the behavior became an issue.
  • Brandon Roy was a terrific Trail Blazer and it was a shame his career was cut short. But to give him credit for somehow changing the culture here is going a little too far. Paul Allen, and only Paul Allen, could do that. And he did, by parting ways with Bob Whitsitt in 2003 and putting a new emphasis on obtaining players of character.
  • I've never cared much about whose number hangs in the rafters of Moda Center. Retire Roy's number? Fine. But the whole idea that Carmelo Anthony couldn't wear Roy's No. 7 was silly. That's a Hall of Fame player, right there. And No. 7 has still not been retired. Melo should have been, out of respect, handed that number when he walked in the door -- and if they wanted to retire it later, fine. Bob Gross wore No 30 and so did Terry Porter. Both of them have their number retired.
  • Once and for all, and I think all the local fans seem to understand this, but the national media doesn't -- do not expect Portland to make a major trade strictly to save this season. Anything this franchise does will be with the future in mind. As it should.
  • "Recency bias" rears its ugly head on things like retired numbers. I hear people talk about who they think are worthy and they are usually only players they've seen play -- with the exception of Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas. Barely anyone mentions Geoff Petrie, the original Trail Blazer and a man who would average more than 30 points a game with the three-point line and today's defensive rules. I understand the bias, but really --history is your friend, even in sports.

Three things we learned from Brandon Roy's latest interview

Three things we learned from Brandon Roy's latest interview

By Dylan Mickanen January 16, 2020 12:10 PM

Eight years following his retirement from the Portland Trail Blazers, Brandon Roy is speaking about the whole experience.

In an interview with Jason Quick of The Athletic, Roy opened up about the injuries that plagued his career and the emotional turmoil he's undergone since hanging up the jersey.

"The Natural" spoke quite honestly about his experience in Portland

Here are some things we learned:

1. Neil Olshey has offered Roy a role with the organization

Since retiring from the Trail Blazers, Roy has only attended two Blazers games which led some to question if the relationship between the franchise was poor. That isn't the case. Roy revealed to Quick that current Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey "has contacted him several times throughout the years and extended an open invitation to return, be it tickets, a role within the organization, whatever he needed."

What sticks out the most is the role with the Blazers themselves. What could that role be? There's no question to this day Roy remains one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Some former NBA players transition to the front office or coaching roles when their playing days are done. Roy even coached high school in Washington, winning the state championship both seasons so he has experience coaching on some level. Perhaps even an advisory role, or a role similar to what Dirk Nowitski has with the Dallas Mavericks. 

2. Nate McMillan and Brandon Roy didn't always see eye to eye

For every season B-Roy was in a Trail Blazers uniform, Nate McMillan was his head coach. Surprisingly, their relationship wasn't always great, especially after Kevin Pritchard was let go from his duties as general manager following the 2010 NBA Draft.

KP was a guy who helped me and Nate’s relationship. I’m naturally a guy who if I go away (from a practice or game), I go away. And Nate is a guy who just kind of goes away and minds his business, too. But KP was always … ‘We need to bring you two together. Let’s sit down. Let’s talk.' -- Brandon Roy to Quick

We always knew that Pritchard was an expert drafter and dealer as a general manager, but we probably undervalued how integral he was to ensuring people got along. When Rich Cho was hired as general manager, Roy mentioned he didn't force the head coach and Roy to talk things out, widening the divide between the player and coach. It's surprising to hear that Roy's relationship with McMillan was rocky since nowadays one of the main priorities for a head coach in the NBA is to ensure the happiness of the franchise star. 

3. Roy returned eight days after surgery against Pheonix because he knew he didn't have a lot of time left 

When Roy returned to the 2010 playoff series in Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns and just eight days following knee surgery, it was surreal. Now, in hindsight, many have claimed that Roy rushed back from surgery to play in the postseason to the detriment of his career. Roy seems to have a different perspective. He makes it sound like his career was always going to be cut short, regardless if he came back against the Suns or not.

Quick recaps Roy's feelings on the matter:

"He said it was as if there was a clock in his head, always counting down, always reminding him that his time was coming. He couldn’t keep it all up — the pills, the aspiration of knee fluids, the shots — not at this pace. That’s why he returned..."

Knowing that Roy could fear his career coming to a head makes the return against Pheonix much more defendable. It was a chance to play in the postseason, something Roy had only done once up until that point, and he didn't know how much longer his knees would hold up. What if his time ran out that next season and he forfeited a chance to make a postseason run to preserve a future career that never materialized? Roy is too competitive to have sat on the sidelines, especially when he knew that the clock was ticking on his career.

You can read the full article here.

Talkin' Blazers Podcast: How do you tell the history of the Blazers without Brandon Roy?

Talkin' Blazers Podcast: How do you tell the history of the Blazers without Brandon Roy?

By Jamie Hudson November 22, 2019 9:00 AM

Carmelo Anthony is back after officially signing with the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. However, the Blazers did not make his jersey number 7 available to Melo.

No. 7 hasn't been sported since Brandon Roy last wore it in 2011.

Trail Blazers faithful believe and hope that Roy’s No. 7 will eventually be retired by Portland.

In the latest edition of the Talkin' Blazers Podcast with Channing Frye and Dan Sheldon, the two discussed B-Roy’s legacy.

Frye raises the question: “How do you tell the history of the Blazers without Brandon Roy?”

“Injuries aside, that guy was one of the best players," Frye said on the latest Talkin’ Blazers Podcast. “I’ve played with Hall of Fame guys, and his injury out of all the injuries I’ve seen in the NBA, cut one of the best careers short. That guy was a constant professional, he knew basketball, he was a great teammate, and great leader, and he was a winner. When it came down to winning time, he wanted the ball and he knew how to score and he knew how to make plays.”

There’s no doubt that both Frye and Roy are two fan-favorites in Rip City in different ways.

But for Frye, he had a lot of praise for how B-Roy fought through pain. 

“I seen him in a game where he drained his knee,” Frye said. “It was disgusting how much stuff came out of his knee. And he went and gave Phoenix 52 points. At that point, I knew he was the real deal Holyfield.”

If a player is ‘the real deal Holyfield’ it would be hard to believe his jersey number would not get retired.

Listen to the full Talkin' Blazers podcast below:

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