Ja Morant hasn’t played a game for the Portland Trail Blazers, but his arrival has reopened one of the franchise’s longest-running debates.
After being traded to Portland, Morant is switching his jersey number from 12 to No. 1. He cited the organization having “other plans” for No. 12, prompting immediate speculation that the Blazers are finally preparing to retire LaMarcus Aldridge’s No. 12 jersey.
But just as quickly as Morant’s new number was announced, the pushback from fans arrived—fans who haven’t forgiven Aldridge for leaving in free agency 11 years ago, after declaring he wanted to finish his career as the greatest Trail Blazer of all time.
Truth is, fan frustration is understandable. However, it shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
Jersey retirements honor what a player accomplished while representing a franchise. If that’s the standard, Aldridge isn’t a borderline candidate but one of the clearest choices in team history.
Start with the résumé.
Over nine seasons in Portland, Aldridge made four straight All-Star teams and earned three All-NBA selections. He finished his Blazers career second in franchise history in points at the time, first in rebounds, and top five in games played, minutes, field goals, and free throws.
Very few players have combined that level of production with that kind of longevity. And the timing of those accomplishments matters, too.
After Brandon Roy’s career was cut short and Greg Oden never developed into a franchise cornerstone, the Blazers could have disappeared into the lottery for years. Instead, Aldridge developed into one of the NBA’s premier power forwards and kept Portland in the playoff picture while the organization rebuilt itself for the next era.
That next era eventually included Damian Lillard, but one of the defining moments of the Lillard era wouldn’t have happened without Aldridge.
Everyone remembers Lillard’s iconic 0.9-second buzzer-beater to eliminate the Houston Rockets in 2014. It deserves its place among the greatest shots not just in Trail Blazers franchise history but in NBA history.
What often gets lost in that moment is everything that happened before it.
Aldridge was the best player in that series. He opened it with 46 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks in Game 1, then followed with 43 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in Game 2 to give Portland a 2-0 lead. Those performances against Dwight Howard and the Rockets helped Portland win a playoff series for the first time in 14 years, and they remain two of the greatest postseason games ever played by a Trail Blazer.
The case against retiring his jersey has always centered on how his time in Portland ended rather than what happened during it. Aldridge left for San Antonio in his prime after publicly stating he wanted to spend his career in Portland. Many fans have never gotten over it.
That, of course, is part of his legacy, as it should be.
It just shouldn’t outweigh everything else.
If jersey retirements are reserved only for players who finish their careers with one franchise or leave on perfect terms, very few organizations would have many numbers hanging from the rafters. Sports relationships are complicated, especially when free agency enters the equation.
But here’s the thing. The Blazers have never approached jersey retirements that way.
This organization has consistently honored players who helped define important eras of franchise history. Aldridge belongs in that group. And it’s difficult to argue otherwise when comparing his résumé with that of several players whose jerseys are already retired. His individual accomplishments stack up favorably, and his impact on winning was every bit as significant (and often even more so).
To put it clearly, No. 12 represents far more than an uncomfortable ending in 2015. It represents nearly a decade of All-Star-level basketball. It should remind Rip City of a player who not just helped usher Portland out of the Jail Blazers era but helped bridge the gap between the Roy and Lillard eras.
Those accomplishments didn’t disappear because he chose to continue his career elsewhere.
Morant’s coming to town and wearing No. 1 shouldn’t be viewed as a controversy. If anything, it should serve as a reminder that the Blazers have waited long enough.
Aldridge earned his place among the greatest players in franchise history years ago. It’s time for his jersey to join them in the Moda Center rafters.
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