Bad luck plays a huge role in sports. Whether it be the ball spinning off the rim or the ball glancing off your knee, randomness is part of the game. It is no more tragic than in the case of injury.
Brandon Roy has bad luck.
This supremely talented guard had everything in front of him and his back-to-back 20 points per game seasons had him trending upward and looking at a certainly bright future. Injuries can do a nasty thing to a promising career.
After playing in only 47 games last season, averaging 12.2 points per game on 40.0 percent shooting, it seemed Roy’s career was entering a tragic end. Roy tried to comeback last year and had a surprisingly strong game in the Playoff comeback against the eventual champion Dallas. Roy wanted to play this year, but announced his knees had deteriorated to such a point that he could not suit up for the Blazers any more.
And so, one of the most promising players in the NBA hung up his shoes and retired because of continuing injuries to his knees at the age of 26. It was absolutely cruel to see Roy go before even hitting his prime as he could do so many things well and was such a large contributor to the team.
Maybe, though, the dream isn’t over.
Eurobasket is reporting Roy is contemplating a comebackand is going through treatments to his knee similar to the one that revitalized Kobe Bryant this offseason and that Gilbert Arenas reportedly used to speed up his recovery. The report says now is not the time for Roy to be considering returning to the NBA, he is too early in the process, but there should still be some years left in Roy if he can come back and his injury responds to the treatment he is receiving.
It would certainly be a fantastic way for such a talented and selfless player — the Trail Blazers still have some promotional material featuring him up around the city and John Canzano of The Oregonian never really believed he would be gone because he is “too competitive, and driven, and loves basketball too much.”
Roy certainly seems willing to give the sport and the body that has been too cruel to him in the last few years one last-ditch effort at success to get back on the court. And, according to the Eurobasket report, it was watching the Blazers and hanging out with his former teammates during the All-Star Break that pushed Roy to really to begin considering the comeback attempt more seriously.
Players and coaches on his former team were honestly surprised at the news Roy is considering this long shot of a comeback. He certainly seems to have the drive and the never-say-quit attitude to accomplish it.
It is a long way from the guy scouts thought was a Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none and looked “lazy” on the basketball court coming out of Washington. Roy proved those critics wrong in becoming a two-time All Star and the Rookie of the Year in 2007.
Now is just another chance for him to do that again. And the greatest gift of all might not just be the fact fans get to see his effortless and smooth play again, but that Roy will finally get a break (in a good way) and do what he loves most.
