The money is nice. No one, including Brandon Roy, is going to deny that. But what brought a smile to Roy’s face as he sat at a table answering questions from the media while holding his son on his lap wasn’t the thought of dollars being electronically routed to his checking account. More than anything, he was simply happy to have the whole ordeal over and done with.
It’s not hard to understand why. Of course there’s the relief of financial stability, but that wasn’t issue, as there was never any doubt Roy was going to get paid. The real source of anxiety for Roy throughout the negotiating process was being in a situation where he had to focus on himself rather than the team. It was uncharted and unwelcomed territory for the two-time All-Star.
“That’s the biggest thing I was struggling with,” said Roy. “I’ve never been a ‘me’ guy, never worried about myself. Now here it is I have to be a little selfish. My agent is like ‘You have to be a little bit more selfish in this situation.’ And I’m like, ‘I just want to get this done.’ I want to play with my teammates. I don’t like this process, and I think that’s what made this hard. But at the same time I’m glad it’s over with.”
The distain for the process is probably one of the reasons Roy said he would sign a ten-year contract if he had the option. He knew he was going to be a Trail Blazer, but he still had to go through negotiations, despite knowing what the ultimate outcome would be.
“There were days were I was upset and I wanted it to be done, like, now,” said Roy, “because I didn’t like people calling saying ‘What’s going on?’ or ‘Why aren’t you a Trail Blazer? Why aren’t they signing you?’ I didn’t like that process. For me it was like, can I just get it over with? But there was never a moment I felt like I wasn’t going to be a part of this team. I couldn’t even imagine being on another team. All I know is University of Washington and Portland. There was never a moment when [playing for another team] crossed my mind.”
10 comments:
Glad BRoy is signed. Now, for LMA.
I never had any doubt about BRoy getting signed, but I felt just like the Blazers were procrastinating. Now, it is time for LMA and Basketball.
hg
How easy is it to love this guy? Can't wait for the LMA signing and the start of another special season, I'm sure. The parade is not too far off in the distance . . ..
aneebaba: It is super easy to love this kid. And I love what KP has said about him: BR is one hell of a special player, but as good as he is on the floor he is an even better person off of it. The mind is an underrated weapon in the NBA, and BR has something special upstairs. I love that this team is so tight off of the court and I love that our star is all about his teammates. It is truly something special.
It always bugged me to see headlines about "Roy wants blahblahblah, this million dollars."
I really think that should always be "Roy's agent".
Gives the whole thing a bad vibe when it sounds like the player is demanding a certain contract, when they want to play. I'm not trying to say like he'd take anything, but it's pretty clear his personal demands weren't the issue.
I thought this would be the usual company man post. That second paragraph summed up so much. Roy is always about team, it must have made him feel out of place having to be put in a selfish light. I think that was a overlooked part of this whole process.
any chance we can get the podcast of the press conference? pretty please?
PEOPLE...be patient, LMA will be signed...we have a whole lot of time ...months maybe even a year in fact...can't you see...glad b-roy's signed
I think most of us knew Brandon was going to be here. What can I say, it's still exciting for so many reasons. The way he plays is so fun to watch, well all the Blazers...but also his high character, his determination, the way he never gives up, and probably just his humble and good-natured attitude. It has been so much fun watching him mesmerize the Rose Garden and grow into a true All-Star. And ya know, the ones that end up being really great are the one's that fly under the radar or play a new style that hasn't been done yet. Brandon is an original and a winner. I think we're all very proud. I'm glad he's here and the organization makes me so pleased as a fan because I believe this is one of the best moments for the franchise as long as I have been a fan. Thank You
Hey Casey,
I just want to let you know that for 2 or 3 weeks now there have been NO podcasts of Courtside? Any reason for this?
Aldridge deserves a very similar contract. Maybe not as much money as Roy, but certainly as many years.
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