How a $11-an-hour dock worker became NBA's most unstoppable force
In short: Before he was 'the Natural,' Brandon Roy was cleaning shipping containers on the Seattle docks. Driven by a learning disability and a grueling path to college eligibility, he rose to become a near-unanimous Rookie of the Year and a player so dominant that Kobe Bryant called him unguardable.
Brandon Roy’s ascent to NBA stardom was defined by resilience against significant personal and physical hurdles. Before his tenure with the Washington Huskies, Roy faced challenges with a learning disability that required four attempts to meet NCAA SAT requirements. During this period of uncertainty, he supported himself by working on the Seattle docks, earning $11 per hour cleaning shipping containers.
After a stellar college career where he averaged 20.2 points per game and earned Pac-10 Player of the Year honors, Roy entered the NBA via the 2006 draft. Selected sixth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was immediately traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. His impact was instantaneous; in 2007, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year award with 127 out of 128 first-place votes, leading all rookies with 14.5 points per game by late January.
At his peak, Roy's skill was so profound that Kobe Bryant famously claimed the Trail Blazers star had 'no weaknesses in his game.' However, his career was a battle against degenerative knee conditions. Despite undergoing surgeries to remove cartilage and managing meniscus tears, Roy's physical decline forced a retirement in 2011. Even a 2012 comeback with the Timberwolves, aided by platelet-rich plasma treatments, could not overcome the lack of cartilage in his knees.
Beyond the court, Roy's legacy continues through coaching. After leading Nathan Hale High School to a perfect 29–0 record and winning the 201<0xC2>7 Naismith National High School Coach of the Year award, he returned to his roots at Garfield High School in Seattle, where he has served as head coach across multiple stints.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Brandon Roy
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