Kobe Bryant didn't hand out compliments easily. He was famously stingy with them. Yet, when asked who the toughest player in the West was to guard, he didn't say LeBron or KD. He said Brandon Roy.
He called him "The Natural." There was this effortless, almost liquid way Roy moved on a basketball court. He wasn't the fastest guy out there. He didn't jump the highest. Honestly, he looked like he was playing at 70% speed most of the time. But he always got to his spot. He was 6'6", strong as a bull, and had a mid-range jumper that felt like a death sentence for defenders.
Then, his knees basically turned into dust.
Brandon Roy: The Rise of a Seattle Icon
People forget how much of a struggle it was just for Brandon Roy to get to the league. It wasn't some predestined path. Growing up in Seattle, he attended Garfield High School and was a local legend, but the academic side was a massive hurdle. He had a learning disability that made the SAT a nightmare. He took that test four times. Four times!
While waiting to see if he’d even qualify for college, he worked on the Seattle docks. He was literally cleaning shipping containers for $11 an hour. Imagine one of the greatest basketball talents of a generation scrubbing grime off metal boxes because he wasn't sure if he’d ever play for the Washington Huskies.
When he finally got to UW, he stayed all four years. That’s unheard of for a star now. By his senior year, he was the Pac-10 Player of the Year, averaging 20.2 points and leading the Huskies to the Sweet Sixteen.
📖 Related: Barry Sanders Shoes Nike: What Most People Get Wrong
The 2006 NBA Draft was weird. The Minnesota Timberwolves took him 6th overall and then immediately traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers for Randy Foye. It is arguably one of the worst trades in Timberwolves history, and that's saying something. Portland was "The Jail Blazers" back then. The franchise was a mess. Roy walked in and changed the entire culture overnight.
Why Brandon Roy Still Matters to Basketball Purists
He won the 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year award with 127 out of 128 first-place votes. It wasn't even close. He was a three-time All-Star by age 25. He made All-NBA Second Team in 2009 and Third Team in 2010.
What made Brandon Roy so special? It was the lack of a weakness. He could shoot the three, he could post up smaller guards, and he was an elite playmaker. In December 2008, he dropped 52 points on the Phoenix Suns without committing a single turnover. That is a statistical anomaly. It’s perfect basketball.
The Blazers finally had a core. Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden.
On paper, it was a dynasty.
In reality, they only played 62 games together.
Their record in those games? 50-12.
That is a 66-win pace.
But the knees. Oh man, the knees.
👉 See also: Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart: Why the Roster Flip is More Than Just Kyler Murray
Medical reports eventually surfaced that were terrifying. By 2010, Brandon Roy was essentially playing with no meniscus in either knee. It was bone-on-bone. Every time he jumped, every time he planted for a crossover, it was just friction and pain. He had his knees drained constantly.
The Last Dance in Rip City
The moment every Blazers fan remembers is Game 4 of the 2011 playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks. Roy was a shell of himself by then. He had surgery on both knees earlier that year. He was coming off the bench. He looked finished.
Portland was down 23 points in the third quarter. The Rose Garden was quiet. Then Roy just... decided to be Brandon Roy one last time. He scored 18 points in the fourth quarter. He hit a four-point play that nearly blew the roof off the building. He led them to a comeback win that felt like a movie.
He retired shortly after. He tried a brief comeback with the Timberwolves in 2012, but it lasted only five games. His body was done.
Life After the NBA: Coaching and Heroism
A lot of guys disappear after they retire. Roy went back to Seattle. He started coaching at Nathan Hale High School in 2016. In his first year, he took a team that went 3-18 the previous season and turned them into 29-0 national champions. He had Michael Porter Jr., sure, but Roy was the one holding it together. He was named the Naismith National High School Coach of the Year.
✨ Don't miss: Anthony Davis USC Running Back: Why the Notre Dame Killer Still Matters
Then things got heavy in 2017.
Roy was at a barbecue outside his grandmother’s house in Compton, California. A random shooting broke out. Instead of running, Roy instinctively jumped on top of several children to shield them from the gunfire. He was shot in the leg.
He survived, and honestly, it just added to the legend. He wasn't just a "Natural" on the court; he had that hero instinct off it too. Since then, he’s bounced back and forth as the head coach at his alma mater, Garfield High School, winning multiple state titles.
Actionable Insights for Basketball Students
If you’re a young player watching old Brandon Roy highlights, don’t just look at the buckets. Look at the pacing.
- Master the Change of Pace: Roy never played at full speed. He used hesitations and body fakes to keep defenders off balance.
- The "Ground Game": When his athleticism faded, he used his strength. If you can't outjump someone, out-angle them.
- Efficiency Over Flash: He rarely wasted dribbles. Every move had a purpose—either to get to the rim or to create a passing lane.
- Resilience: Whether it was the SATs or the bone-on-bone knees, Roy didn't complain. He just adapted.
To truly understand his impact, look up his 2011 Game 4 highlights against Dallas. It’s a masterclass in heart over biology. Even if the career was short, Brandon Roy left a blueprint for how the game should be played: with poise, IQ, and zero wasted motion.
Next Steps for Fans: Go watch the "B-Roy 52 Points vs Phoenix" game film. Pay attention to how he uses his off-arm to create space without fouling. It’s a lost art in today’s game. If you're interested in his coaching philosophy, look into the "Seattle-style" of guard play—high-pressure defense and creative finishing—which he continues to instill in the kids at Garfield.