Remember the Rocket-killer with the gimpy knees? Had to retire, tried to make a comeback, but was still unable to move around well enough? That guy? Well, it turns out he's the National High School Basketball Coach of the Year. In his first year. He inherited a team that was 3-18 and led them to a 29-0 record and a state title. In his first year. Not too shabby. Here's a story about it from former (current?) ClutchFans member Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie fame:
there was a thread about this a few months ago. too bad not many casual fans know about him now. breh was gonna take the blazers to another level
We were going to draft him but Portland heard of it and jumped ahead to take him. We ended up traded the #6 spot for Battier, the infamous "Gay for Battier" trade.
as much as I hated him as a rocket killer, can't help but feel bad for him. He was absolutely incredible and will never get the credit he deserves for it. I almost feel the same for him as I do for Yao.
This boy could BALL!!! I still have nightmares of that buzzard beater he hit against us smh. Rainbow 3, knew once it left it hands it was good
Great story, always liked Roy even though he played for the bad guys. He had great body control in the air like Kobe and MJ.
Man, we really just need to park our biggest guy in that one little area of the court anytime we have a last-second situation in the MODA Center.
I watched Brandon Roy solid for 3-4 years when he was with the Blazers. He was my favorite player. People will never appreciate how great Roy was because he played in a small market. One of the best closers in NBA history. Once he learned to shoot, it was ball game. Playing in a plodding, slow as molasses offense coached by Nate McMillan reduced his stats so that general fans didn't appreciate just how great he was. He also wasn't a highlight guy so ESPN didn't feature him much.
We were going to trade Luther Head and the #8 (Rudy Gay) to Minnesota for the #6 (Brandon Roy) but Portland sniffed it out (actually, I think Van Gundy talked too much at some dinner and the info spread and multiplied like Mr Smith in the Matrix). It would have been a Gay Head trade. I was sitting in the Toyota Center watching Jeff Van Gundy, Bill Worrell, and a player I can't remember. Right as the Battier-for-Gay trade was announced (and before the avalanche of boos could crush him), Van Gundy vanished like a fart in the wind.
McGrady and Yao was heartbreaking enough. I don't think I could have dealt with the mental anguish of adding Brandon Roy to that (although we might have beaten the Lakers that year withe Roy covering for McGrady).
While it's a great story, and I always liked Roy as a player, as always in today's world, the media hasn't painted this picture as accurately as it should have. While it's true that Roy inherited a team that was 3-18 the previous season, it should also be noted that he didn't lead those same kids to a 29-0 record. When word got out that Roy was going to be the new coach of that team, the best players throughout the region made a mad dash to get on his roster, which is the real reason why they won the state title. Again, not taking away from Roy at all here.....it's just a little disingenuous for the media to make it out like he took the Bad News Bears and turned them into the Warriors.