NBA 2K teased on Tuesday that it would feature new Legendary teams in the 2020 edition of the popular video game series set to release Sept. 6.
Wednesday morning, the same Twitter profile gave Portland Trail Blazers fans one more reason to pick up a copy.
All new Legendary teams are coming to 2K20 ? First up, our All-Decade teams dating from the 50/60’s all the way to 2010’s.
— NBA 2K20 (@NBA2K) August 13, 2019
Who's your pick for the best squad to run with this #2KDay on 9/6? pic.twitter.com/L1Zox5sl56
Although the 2009-10 Trail Blazers lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs, fans should feel some sort of nostalgia for the days of Andre Miller, Steve Blake (?Rip City legend three times over ?), Marcus Camby and Joel Przybilla. Who could forget Rudy Fernandez, Juwan Howard, Travis Outlaw or Dante Cunningham? Portland even got 21 games out of Greg Oden that season, as well as two showings from former—and current—Trail Blazers legend Anthony Tolliver.
Those guys Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge were pretty good at basketball, too.
| Age | GS | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaMarcus Aldridge | 24 | 78 | .495 | .313 | .757 | 8.0 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 17.9 |
| Brandon Roy | 25 | 65 | .473 | .330 | .780 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 21.5 |
| Marcus Camby | 35 | 23 | .497 | .000 | .581 | 11.1 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 7.0 |
| Andre Miller | 33 | 66 | .445 | .200 | .821 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 14.0 |
| Steve Blake | 29 | 28 | .403 | .377 | .750 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 7.6 |
| Nicolas Batum | 21 | 25 | .519 | .409 | .843 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 10.1 |
| Martell Webster | 23 | 49 | .405 | .373 | .813 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 9.4 |
| Greg Oden | 22 | 21 | .605 | .766 | 8.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 11.1 | |
| Rudy Fern�ndez | 24 | 2 | .378 | .368 | .867 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 8.1 |
| Joel Przybilla | 30 | 9 | .523 | .647 | 7.9 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 4.1 | |
| Juwan Howard | 36 | 27 | .509 | .000 | .786 | 4.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 6.0 |
| Travis Outlaw | 25 | 0 | .376 | .387 | .875 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 9.9 |
| Jerryd Bayless | 21 | 11 | .414 | .315 | .831 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 8.5 |
| Dante Cunningham | 22 | 2 | .495 | .000 | .646 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 3.9 |
| Jeff Ayres | 22 | 4 | .662 | .900 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 2.7 | |
| Travis Diener | 27 | 0 | .250 | .000 | .500 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Patty Mills | 21 | 0 | .417 | .500 | .571 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.6 |
| Shavlik Randolph | 26 | 0 | .333 | 1.000 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | |
| Anthony Tolliver | 24 | 0 | .000 | .000 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Admittedly, this team’s inclusion as a Legendary roster can confuse those who didn’t witness it firsthand. This is a squad that fell to Steve Nash in six games after watching Oden fall for the final time earlier in the year. Roy only played 65 contests, and the Vanilla Gorilla was lost to a torn patellar tendon. Rudy Fernandez, once considered a high-upside albeit mysterious X-factor, underwhelmed at best and also fell victim to injury.
To casual watchers on the outside looking in, this was a team that disappointed after a third-place Western Conference finish. Throughout the city of Portland, this roster represented the beginning of the end—another “what if?”
For those who love to loathe the team for which they long, you’ll remember this was also the year RLEC came and went with as much disappointment as it had promise. Raef Lafrentz’s Expiring Contract was a $12.7 million golden ticket. Trade-block mainstays Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Gerald Wallace and Luol Deng were seemingly up for the taking, and Portland failed to trade the final months of a contract that was 80 percent paid for by insurance.
Lafrentz remained on the team, continued playing zero games brilliantly, and the Blazers went on to implode almost two years to the day following their failed ‘09 deadline.
***
Well…that got Real-o-Clock. Let’s bring this back home.
Portland’s dynasty that never was may have fallen apart shortly after that season, but the talent on this team was undisputed. The Blazers were considered fringe title contenders entering the year, and despite a No. 30 pace under Nate McMillan, Roy and Co. carved apart defenses to the tune of a No. 7 offensive rating, per Basketball Reference.
The fans dug it, too. You dug it. You went to those home games. And if you chose not to or you weren’t able to, there were an average of 20,497 other Blazermaniacs screaming their heads off at the Rose Garden all 41 games, good enough for third in the league that season.
Not satisfied? Only the Blazers and Mavericks sold over 100 percent capacity throughout the season thanks to standing-room-only fanatics thrilled just to be in the building.
This team, with all its flaws and all its misfortune, holds a special spot in the hearts of Portland fans.
Oh, also…
Come back any time, Steve. The Portland Trail Blakesters welcome your return literally whenever you’re ready.
