Written by Kevin Blodorn, Chicago
This latest debilitating injury to the Blazers got me thinking.
It occurred to me that this is no rare sight. The Rose Garden (Moda Center, currently; Memorial Coliseum, formerly) has seen its share of orchids, housing a slew of significant injuries over the years: From Bill Walton to Wesley Matthews’ unfortunate recent injury.
By the way, it’ll always be the Rose Garden to me.
Without further ado, I present the ever-depressing list of injuries to have stricken the great NBA city of Portland, Oregon.
- Greg Oden
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/12/greg_oden_carted_away_from_ros.html
Who can forget the 7-foot, 270 pound monster with loads of untapped potential and who had the looks of a Lebron James/Halloween goblin hybrid. By the way, thanks to Oden, we know exactly what Lebron’s going to look like when he’s 50.
Oden went from high school landscaper-turned phenom-turned budding superstar at Ohio State to the number 1 overall pick in 2007. But, thanks to a debilitating knee injury, he’s now a free agent-turned domestic abuser.
On a side note, Portland has lost out on Kevin Durant and that Michael Jordan guy. And they could have taken Al Horford who said of Oden: “I just knew I was looking at a guy that was going to be like a 10-time All-Star — was going to be in the discussion as one of the best centers, for sure. I have no question in my mind, looking back, that he was going to be a great player.” (ESPN)
- Bill Walton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89TNgbs38ds
Walton was always one step away from a serious foot injury…
I’m so sorry.
Big Red ranks lower on this list because he did help bring the last championship to a city that’s as hungry as any for another one (yeah, that includes you, Cleveland). Portland won it all in ’77 where he posted career highs of 18.6 PPG, 14.4 RPG and 3.2 BPG that year. Big Red also was Finals MVP.
But, in subsequent years, his decline would begin due to nagging foot injuries. Walton missed more games than he played in his career, including three full seasons and big chunks of four others. He played just 468 games during a career that spanned more than a decade’s worth of seasons.
I can’t help but think a consistently healthy Walton may have meant a dynasty in Portland.
- Wesley Matthews
http://sports.yahoo.com/video/wesley-matthews-injury-051416836.html
That damn Moda Center strikes again.
While Wes isn’t the star on his team, he may be on the Blazer team that’s closest to winning a championship that this city hasn’t seen in years.
He’s also a key cog on that team. He can space the floor and consistently knock down 3s. Wes was hitting three 3-pointers per game at an astoundingly strong 39% clip. His percentage has gone up in each year he has been in the league (six total).
Somewhere Jimmy Butler and Wes Matthews, limbs in casts, are reminiscing about their healthier, “youthier” Marquette days. But, hey, maybe it’s time for the Lehigh Legend to get more run! I mean, come on. He can’t be that bad of an NBA’er, can he? Well, whatever, looks like that Arron Afflalo trade is looming large right about now.
- Derrick Rose (A non-Blazer!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtIQrE4JGIk
Ugh, it still pains me when I think of this, although not as much as that ACL tear against Philly. You know what: I don’t want to talk about it.
- Brandon Roy
Let’s be honest: injuries ruin sports. And as an NBA-Lifer, you never want to see injuries to the finest athletes, let alone a great dude like Brandon Roy.
Portland’s poster child for the 2000s decade, Roy was on his way to an exceptional career. He had the size; he had the athleticism; he had the killer instinct; he had the clutch-factor. He had “It.” And no one will ever forget what he did against Dallas in the playoffs.
Dubbed “The Natural” by his Portland teammates, Roy was more than just a basketball sensation; he was a celebrity in that town, a fan-favorite–an icon–very much like Derrick Rose in Chicago. The only difference is he wasn’t born in Portland … but you’d never know he wasn’t. He was so revered in that city. Marcus Camby once pointed to the retired jerseys at Moda and said of Roy: “His number belongs up there. That’s all I can say.”
Roy is now 30 years old. And. if it had not been for debilitating knee injuries, he’d presumably be in the prime of his career. Who knows, Portland may even have had another title by now. Instead, he’s retired at 27. It was a big blow to the league: a superstar lost to injury.
12/8/2011: Many fans won’t remember this day, but some Portlanders might. It marked the culmination of all things unjust, all things unfair, all things downright wrong. It was the day that ultimately led to Roy’s decision to retire when his doctor uttered these words: “You can’t do this,” the doctor told Roy, according to a source. “You might end up not walking.” (OregonLive)
Take a second and imagine what it would be like to hear that when you’re 27 years old.
Although Roy made a comeback with Minny, it was short-lived and he was never the same.
Anyway, I’m blaming the arena. There’s something in the air and it’s not oxygen. Maybe the Ghost Adventures Crew can do an investigation of the Moda Center. Maybe a cleansing? Does anyone know a priest? Perhaps, it was built on an ancient burial ground. Whatever, I’ll continue to blame the arena for these injuries, which by the way, aren’t singular. They’re linear and part of string of repeated occurrences. Bill Walton and Brandon Roy both faced degenerative joint problems–Bill’s in his feet and Brandon’s in his knees. And, who knows how Derrick will fare going forward now; he now has two paper mache legs.
This is on you, Rose Garden. This is on you.
**Honorable Mentions sure to have cracked a top 10 list: Zach Randolph, Sam Bowie, Nate McMillon, Geoff Petrie, Rudy Fernandez
Editor’s note: This article appeared initially in Kevin’s ChicagoBlog.
