According to Chris Haynes of Comcast SportsNet, Brandon Roy said on Thursday that, after his latest setback, he considered retiring again. In addition, he stated that he's prepared to coach NBA players if and when he isn't able to play alongside them anymore.
“Now, I think there's something in me that I can offer to basketball. There's a message that I can bring to basketball. I wasn't the fastest, the highest jumper, but my knowledge of the game helped me be an effective player at a high level,” Roy said. “Coaching at the NBA level is where I see myself. If this season is it for me, I'm not staying away from basketball. I would want to get in as soon as possible.”
That idea has many people in Portland excited about Roy's possible return to the Rose City. Arguably the most popular player in franchise history, Roy's career was cut short due to injuries after just five seasons with the Trail Blazers.
Roy decided to retire following the 2010-11 season, and the Trail Blazers used the team's amnesty clause to remove his contract from the books. After spending a year away from the NBA, Roy decided to return.
But because Portland used its amnesty clause to terminate Roy's previous contract, the team was not eligible to sign him to a new deal. Roy ended up signing a 2-year, $10 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Injuries have kept Roy off the court, and he's appeared in just five games this season.
While he may not play in another NBA game, Roy certainly has one game circled on his calendar: March 2, when the Timberwolves travel to the Rose Garden to face the Trail Blazers.
“I'll say it's a 50-50 chance I'll play that game,” he said. “If I'm in decent physical condition, then I think I'll play that game. Right now I'm not close enough to getting back on the floor to say that's a possibility. As much as I want to play that game in the Rose Garden, really I just want to play on that floor again. I can't do it as a Blazer, but I feel like if I am able to get on that court again and play in front of those fans, that would be pretty special for me.”
Whether he plays in that game or not, you can bet the ovation he receives from the Rose Garden faithful will be a hair-raising event.
You can read more of Roy's interview with Chris Haynes on Comcast Sportsnet.
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