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Amid all the craziness of the Chris Paul ordeal, Brandon Roy is set to announce his retirement from the NBA due to a degenerative knee condition. The former Rookie Of The Year has been an elite player since the moment he entered the league. He consistently averaged close to 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists for his career. He was Portland's star, and the people loved him. In 2009 his knees, which had been an issues since his college days, started to cause him problems. He underwent surgery and returned for the playoffs.
This past year he again suffered a knee injury in December and didn't return until February, when he was delegated to a reserve role. The once dynamic leader of the Trailblazers had been reduced to a role player, and he finished the season with career low averages. In the playoffs he played only 8 minutes in Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks, and afterwards he expressed his frustration. "There was a point in the first half, and I was thinking 'You better not cry,'" said Roy. "I mean, serious. I mean, there was a moment where I felt really sorry for myself ... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little hurt, or disappointed. I just always thought I'd be treated a little better."
And then, after scoring 16 points in 23 minutes to lead the Blazers to a Game 3 victory, Roy put on a legendary performance in Game 4. He scored 18 fourth quarter points to help the Blazers overcome a 23 point deficit and tie the series 2-2.
Watch the video below.
Brandon Roy was the man in Portland. He had a reputation for being a clutch player, and the performance he put on against Dallas is how I'll remember him.
One of the league's brightest stars has officially been extinguished, and we can only wonder what Roy would have done had he stayed healthy.
