B-Roy Back Home
Published 9:00 pm Monday, August 28, 2006
Happened to look up from my computer waiting for some football players to arrive and saw Brandon Roy walk by with Spencer Hawes, so a few of us headed out to talk to Roy. Roy and Hawes just returned from playing in a tournament at the famous Rucker Park in New York City, where they reached the championship game and lost a close game to New York. Roy said the end was kind of ridiculous, as after New York scored with 10 seconds left, the MC (who walks around the court with a microphone calling the action) started yelling that New York won the game and the crowd stormed the court.
“I was like, ‘These guys are cheaters,’” Roy said. “But we’ll get them next year.”
Apparently organizers of the league asked Nate Robinson and Jamaal Crawford to put together a team, and they called Roy and Hawes to play. Also on the team were Tim Ellis, Rosell Ellis and Alvin Snow. And needing another big man, Roy called up a ringer in former Husky Jamaal Williams, a Los Angeles native.
The league was played 5-on-5 with real officials, but leaway was given to allow carrying and some other violations to add to the excitement. Teams from Boston, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles were also there.
Roy said he’s been playing in a summer league at Rainier Beach High School that has also included Robinson, Crawford, Williams, Tre Simmons and Martell Webster. He heads to Portland on Tuesday to begin working out with the Trailblazers and joked that when Portland opens the season with a game at Seattle, he would hold his press conference in the UW media work room.
Roy also gave an update on Williams and Simmons. He said Williams considered playing overseas but instead will work out with the Los Angeles Clippers and then play for the Clippers’ D League team, which is based in Los Angeles, Williams’ home town.
Simmons left last week for a camp in Spain, and Roy said he heard that Simmons will be paid a pretty nice salary for playing there. Simmons has also played in Italy and Greece since leaving the UW.
