Frail Blazers: Rough 24 hours for the Blazers

Last night the NBA vetoed a trade of Chris Paul to the Lakers and just when things were looking alright in Blazer land I woke up to the announcement that 27-year-old Brandon Roy is retiring from professional basketball. This isn't a Ricky Williams, "I gotta find myself" type of retirement. This is (for those of you who don't follow the Blazers) because of terrible knee conditions. His knees are so bad that doctors told him continuing to play basketball could jeopardize his ability to walk not far down the line. This comes two days after Blazers coaching staff said he looked like a starter.

I feel just terrible for Mr. Roy. I loved watching him play and it's really a shock that I won't get to ever again. I knew his knees would likely shorten his career and/or prohibit him from returning to all-star form, but there was this seed of optimism in my mind that it could happen, or that Roy's mystique would show up somewhere down the line.

Anyway, I do want to remember his great career. He was a huge piece of RIP CITY! He brought basketball back to Portland and erased the Jail Blazer label (though the Frail Blazer label might be replacing it). Roy won the ROY and was a two-time all-star not to mention one of the most loved players in Portland. I'm so thankful for what he did for the franchise. It's not often that a team enters rebuilding phase and drafts the ROY and a solid big man (Aldridge). It's not often that a team goes from rebuilding to No. 4 seed within a couple years and B-Roy was a huge part of that. Goodbye Brandon - You will be sorely missed.





Oh and PS - Greg Oden had a snag in his recovery and is likely out this whole season (we signed him to a one year deal about a week ago). Talk about pouring salt on an open wound.