There have been many players throughout the history of the NBA who have had a lot of potential but couldn’t quite reach the superstar status that they were expected to reach. Brandon Roy’s name will always be mentioned on that list. During an appearance on Gil’s Arena, Greg Oden added his two cents to the Roy lore.
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Oden played with Roy for the Portland Trail Blazers. When asked what he remembers about Roy from their days playing together, Oden went on to rave about his former teammate. He said that the three-time All-Star was “so smooth” with his game as well as his personality.
The 36-year-old said, “You know he’d always come up, ‘What up Greg Oden?’ You know, in Seattle they just get buckets over there. Like, it never looked hard for him. He was never sped up.”
One of the biggest compliments an athlete can receive in this game is when they’re credited for causing problems to the late, great Kobe Bryant.
“[Brandon Roy] was one of those guys that gave Kobe problems.”
Greg Oden remembers how smooth B-Roy was for the Trailblazers. pic.twitter.com/oZJqGOkQw7
— Underdog (@UnderdogFantasy) November 21, 2024
Oden added, “He was one of those guys that gave Kobe problems and Kobe said that.”
Roy had Kobe’s respect. The late legend was once asked to name the hardest player he has had to defend. Kobe had said, “Brandon Roy 365, 7 days a week. Roy has no weaknesses in his game.”
Kobe Bryant in 2010 on who was the hardest player he had to defend:
“Brandon Roy 365, 7 days a week. Roy has no weaknesses in his game.” pic.twitter.com/RflcFh9nGH
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) July 25, 2022
Despite all the talent, he could only play for seven years in the league and had a career marred with injuries. Oden said that even though it was a short stint, he’s happy that he had an opportunity to play with him.
The 36-year-old has heaped praise on his former teammate on several occasions.
Greg Oden admitted that injuries disrupted Brandon Roy’s career
Oden, Roy, and LaMarcus Aldridge were a formidable trio in Portland. When they played together, they made the franchise one of the strongest in the league. Oden believes that if it weren’t for Roy’s injuries, the Blazers would’ve been a special team.
During an appearance on The OGs podcast, he said, “Literally, they called him the Natural cuz everything just came easy to him. He just did everything on the court and it was just so easy to him.”
Oden also recalled how Roy once went into a duel against Yao Ming and how the two traded shots. The duel ended with Roy hitting a half court shot to close the game. Oden said that this is just one of the many examples of how special a player Roy was.
