This was right before the Seattle to OKC move so it was still not something the NBA really learned to abhor - and I have heard enough people with inside information that believe it was true. There were groups that wanted to move a team (OKC) - what if they could get their hands on the Blazers before the Sonics / Thunder a couple of years later? I am not buying the idea that the team would have been sold but not moved as an absolute, it clearly happened to the Sonics just a couple of years later. Let's remember that in the 2000s you had multiple teams being moved. The Griz moved to Memphis, Sonics to OKC, didn't the Charlotte Hornets move to New Orleans and become the Pelicans later, and Charlotte got the Bobcats? (I can't follow which of these teams were what at what point). Is it 100% sure? No. But I am a lot more confident in it than I am with the idea that Roy somehow fucked Portland, which he did not. He had an opportunity to make some extra cash after his livelihood was taken from him, in no small part, because of the sacrifice he made for the Portland Trailblazers success. He had no obligation to anyone but himself and his family - and if Minnesota was willing to sign him up to give it another go, he would have been stupid not to do it. Whatever it was, from my point of view, Roy s what made me a real Blazers fan. I moved to Portland in 1996, didn't really care for any specific team but became a "fan" going to a game against Houston (wanted to see Barkley and Hakeem) but fell in love with the fan experience (I was never a Pippen or Rasheed or Damon fan, I just liked how the fans enjoyed the games). And then the Jail Blazers era came and I hated it, and I lost interest in that team after the fallout and the crap ZBo years. Brandon Roy was what brought me back, I had a chance to spend a very little time with him and he was so nice to my wife and kid - even tho he did not have to, so for me, Roy is my real ground zero of Blazers fandom.
Probably the closest guy who's playing now is Devin Booker. So the wildly optimistic view of Sharpe is Devin Booker with twice the athleticism.
I've heard this said about Jazz, Celtics, Warriors, and Raptors fans as well. 3 out of 4 of those fans have multiple pro-sports teams. You can find clips of the national media talking up/down the majority of fan bases, so I can't use sound bites or tweets as proof this fan base is the most sensitive in all of sports. I'm not saying Blazer fans aren't into their team, I'm questioning that this fan is so incredibly unique that they do things no other fans base does. I personally don't see it.
PG was one of the most explosive dunkers early in his career: The way he lifts off is very reminiscent of Sharpe.
I have relatives in San Diego, and they would do the same thing to current and former Padres, as well as current and former Chargers. It's not unique to Portland or Oregon.
How did he "fuck" the Portland trail Blazers? The team amnestied him and his return had no cap impact. He didn't force Paul Allen or anyone to pay him big checks fully guaranteed. Every elite athlete is delusional about still being good or still being able to play or still being in their prime long after its over. He's very normal in that regards. Its not his fault the Blazers setup their insurance coverage the way they did, or the NBA medical retire rules are the way they are, or the Timberwolves are idiots and gave him $5million bucks of the full MLE. Yeah I wish he had been more involved with the Blazers after his career. But if this animosity you have is shared by many in the Blazers organization its pretty easy to see why he was not welcomed and not involved since. He isn't running around promoting the Twolves and talking about how great their franchise is. If he was doing that (like a different former allstar-SG of ours is doing in Texas) then yes I'd say fuck him.
I agree here. Drexler actively shits on the Blazers and borderline disavows them. He’s far worse than BRoy in that regard.
This is my experience as well. Fan bases like the believe their fandom/behavior is far more unique or special than it really is. We're all crazy!
I don't think it's specific to Portland but I do think there is a certain chip on the shoulder when it comes to single market cities. I look at fanbases like the Jazz and Thunder that seem to have the same kind of reputation.
Two things about Brandon's game I always thought were special: 1. His sense of finding a way to get enough space to get up a good shot. 2. His ability to finish at the rim with either hand. Athletically, he was good but not close to elite. He was precise. His game was fine-tuned. There are things I've seen Shaedon do already that are very Brandon-like, but Shaedon is several tiers above Brandon on the ladder of athletic ability. Shaedon's ceiling is so high it's incredible.
Not even in my top 10 - I prefer the bump and grind guys like Buck Williams, Marice Lucas, Brian Grant etc.
Could be true. But as mentioned, Boston and Toronto fans have the same rep. And of course, there can be a difference between reputation and fact. Regardless, the OP I responded to implied that Portland was an outlier in this regard, which I continue to question.
