Should Brandon Roy's jersey be retired?

[blue9]

For those of you that answer yes, please explain why. Not that he was a great guy, but really why.

I see a lot of responses that are suggesting he deserves it in part to him "being a great guy" - which is debatable, and I would argue the other side.
So again, leave out his debatable character, and you're left with a sometimes amazing one-on-one player who lead the team to a series of one-and-dones. Not retirement worthy.

 

[Nikolokolus]

For perspective. Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers is retiring this season after 14 years in the NFL, he's the all-time receptions and yards leader for the team, won a Super Bowl, helluva nice guy, exemplary human being and thousands of people lined up in the cold last week to get tickets for his retirement ceremony ... and there's not a snowball's chance in hell his jersey will be retired and he probably won't even make the ring of honor.

 

[noknobs]

What Roy meant to the franchise over that short period can't be measured just in his overall numbers, so I want to say yes. But it's hard to justify it when he never even won a playoff series.

I wish he'd sign a 10 day contract with Portland, walk off to a standing ovation and retire a Blazer though.

 

[Nikolokolus]

What Roy meant to the franchise over that short period can't be measured just in his overall numbers, so I want to say yes. But it's hard to justify it when he never even won a playoff series.

I wish he'd sign a 10 day contract with Portland, walk off to a standing ovation and retire a Blazer though.

That would be great.

 

[Mediocre Man]

What Roy meant to the franchise over that short period can't be measured just in his overall numbers, so I want to say yes. But it's hard to justify it when he never even won a playoff series.

I wish he'd sign a 10 day contract with Portland, walk off to a standing ovation and retire a Blazer though.

That would be the wonderful for him and the fans

 

[Hobbesarable]

POR needs a ring of honor like some football teams do. Just oh, so close but not retirement material.

To be honest though if they could move some of the guys they did retire to the ring of honor then I would have no problem with Roy getting a real retirement. (Won't happen of course)

This.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

It's kind of who cares in my book on how many numbers the Blazers retire. If they want to use other teams standards, that's fine. If they want to broaden it to retire more numbers, works for me too.

If I was to choose 1 player to have their number retired in the last 15 years, it would be Roy.

 

[BlayZa]

no way.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

no, and it's not close.

 

[Nikolokolus]

It's kind of who cares in my book on how many numbers the Blazers retire. If they want to use other teams standards, that's fine. If they want to broaden it to retire more numbers, works for me too.

If I was to choose 1 player to have their number retired in the last 15 years, it would be Roy.

There should never be a requirement to retire a jersey after a set interval of time.

 

[mook]

What Roy meant to the franchise over that short period can't be measured just in his overall numbers, so I want to say yes. But it's hard to justify it when he never even won a playoff series.

I wish he'd sign a 10 day contract with Portland, walk off to a standing ovation and retire a Blazer though.

Meh, I guess. Hasn't Paul Allen already put enough in Roy's bank account? Is a 10 day contract worth the Roy circle jerk?

Not my money I suppose. But I'd rather our team concern itself with adding people who can actually play. You might have noticed we could use a few on the bench.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

There's should never be a requirement to retire a jersey after a set interval of time.

Makes sense . . . although I hope they have some internal policy against that. Would hate to be a Blazers fan all my life and never see a number retired, but that is just me.

I guess I just don't see it as such a big deal and more as a way to remember some of my favorite players. If retiring a number is seen as a huge monumental moment in franchise history that only goes to the highly accomplished, I could see why many don't want his number retired.

 

[BlazerWookee]

It blows me away that people think three consecutive one-and-dones is a complete failure when NOBODY HAD ANY RIGHT TO EXPECT MAKING THE PLAYOFFS THE FIRST TWO TIMES!!!

The third one? Fail. The first two? Triumphant over-achievements.

 

[mook]

Makes sense . . . although I hope they have some internal policy against that. Would hate to be a Blazers fan all my life and never see a number retired, but that is just me.

I think at some point in your life you'll see Aldridge and Lillard's numbers retired.

 

[Nikolokolus]

It blows me away that people think three consecutive one-and-dones is a complete failure when NOBODY HAD ANY RIGHT TO EXPECT MAKING THE PLAYOFFS THE FIRST TWO TIMES!!!

The third one? Fail. The first two? Triumphant over-achievements.

Yes, those teams over-achieved. But this was not a historic achievement by B-Roy, that doesn't make him an all-timer ... which is typically what a jersey retirement in sports signifies.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I think at some point in your life you'll see Aldridge and Lillard's numbers retired.

LaMarcus needs to play at or above his current level for another 4 or 5 years putting him at or near the top of the franchise's list for points and rebounds. Lillard? Way, way too early to be talking about him, he'll need multiple all-star appearances and a ten year career in a Blazers uniform at minimum. Bottom line: both are going to need some deep playoff runs to really deserve it.

 

[Natebishop3]

If we're going to start retiring numbers because of the "warm and fuzzies" then we have to retire 44 for Briant Grant as well. At least he helped get us to two WCF appearances.

Fair is fair.

 

[Hobbesarable]

If we're going to start retiring numbers because of the "warm and fuzzies" then we have to retire 44 for Briant Grant as well. At least he helped get us to two WCF appearances.

Fair is fair.

"Warm and Fuzzies" screams "The Duck!"

He helped our team to a couple Finals appearances.

 

[mook]

LaMarcus needs to play at or above his current level for another 4 or 5 years putting him at or near the top of the franchise's list for points and rebounds. Lillard? Way, way too early to be talking about him, he'll need multiple all-star appearances and a ten year career in a Blazers uniform at minimum. Bottom line: both are going to need some deep playoff runs to really deserve it.

You're right. Every fan thinks their young All-Stars and ROY's will eventually be worthy of a retired jersey, but obviously it doesn't happen a lot of the time.

It's not too early to speculate, though. (What's the point of this board if not to speculate?)

Both guys are right on the career track to eventually have their numbers retired. But a lot can happen between now and then.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

1 Larry Weinberg = World Champion (owner)
13 Dave Twardzik = World Champion
14 Lionel Hollins = World Champion
15 Larry Steele = World Champion
20 Maurice Lucas = World Champion
22 Clyde Drexler = Top 50 NBA players, made it to the Finals
30 Bob Gross = World Champion
Terry Porter = All Star, made it to the Finals
32 Bill Walton = World Champion
36 Lloyd Neal = World Champion
45 Geoff Petrie= teams's first really great player and All Star
77 Jack Ramsay = World Champion


See a theme?

No to Roy - great player, but not worthy of having his number retired

 

[illmatic99]

I appreciate Brandon's competitive spirit, but that doesn't elevate him to "jersey retirement" level ... even with this team's ridiculously low bar they set after the 77 championship.

I didn't say jersey retirement. I was mentioning how he was different from GO and Bowie in that regard (which still is a ridiculous strawman by MM).

 

[BigGameDamian]

No. His career here didnt last long enough.

So now it's come do to how long your career can last? Or is it how long where you with that team? If it's how long where you with that team look at Walton?

 

[Nikolokolus]

So now it's come do to how long your career can last? Or is it how long where you with that team? If it's how long where you with that team look at Walton?

Walton is a hall-of-famer.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Walton is a hall-of-famer.

He's a hall of famer because of his playing days with the Blazers and because he won a championship.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

Love the guy, but no way. A player who never got out of the first round weather his team held him back or not does not deserve to have his number retired regardless of weather he made us feel good a bout our team for a while.

 

[RR7]

It shouldn't just be about contributing to a championship team. What's done is done, but retiring some of those guys from the title team is a joke. A precedent has been set, it seems. But like someone mentioned, I don't know if you want to continue to make mistakes because past mistakes were made. They should create a TrailBlazers hall of fame in the stadium, and have all sorts of memorabilia in there, and then people can see Roy's jersey hang up in there, along with the title trophy, Walton's bike, JR's pop can, and a yellow hummer.

 

[Nikolokolus]

He's a hall of famer because of his playing days with the Blazers and because he won a championship.

Ok. And?

 

[Natebishop3]

It shouldn't just be about contributing to a championship team. What's done is done, but retiring some of those guys from the title team is a joke. A precedent has been set, it seems. But like someone mentioned, I don't know if you want to continue to make mistakes because past mistakes were made. They should create a TrailBlazers hall of fame in the stadium, and have all sorts of memorabilia in there, and then people can see Roy's jersey hang up in there, along with the title trophy, Walton's bike, JR's pop can, and a yellow hummer.

Yup. They got a little carried away with the retiring numbers for that championship team.

So if we somehow won the title this year would we retire half the team?

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Yup. They got a little carried away with the retiring numbers for that championship team.

So if we somehow won the title this year would we retire half the team?

Not according to this board. But if it was me and the Blazers won the worl championship this year . . . I say retire the numbers of the whole team . . . including Williams!

 

[RR7]

Yup. They got a little carried away with the retiring numbers for that championship team.

So if we somehow won the title this year would we retire half the team?

I brought that up like 3 years ago or so, when there was jersey retirement talk, and was yelled at for saying some of the old ones shouldn't be, because they didn't have great careers here, and my example, I think, was Joel. If we won a title three years ago with him playing some really good defense, and getting 9 boards a game here, he'd have a similar argument to get his number retired as some of those guys. And Joel....well you don't retire his jersey.