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After a summer of heated negotiations, the Portland Trailblazers have signed All Star shooting guard Brandon Roy to a five year contract extension. Roy will be in the final year of his rookie contract in the 2009-2010 NBA season, and locking up the services of their ‘franchise player’ was the teams top summer priority.

The on court success and off court class of Brandon Roy may have saved the Portland NBA franchise. The Blazers slumped from their glory years of the 1970’s and 1980’s as the 1990’s progressed, eventually pulling together a roster consisting of character challenged reprobates that earned the moniker JailBlazers for their frequent legal transgressions.

With the Blazers fans staying away from the arena in droves, owner Paul Allen finally had enough and cleaned house. The new management was given the challenge to put together a roster that would not only win games, but win back the Rose City fans. The acquisition of Roy will likely be looked at as the turning point for this effort. The Blazers acquired Roy on draft day 2006 for Randy Foye, and would go on to win the NBAs rookie of the year award.

Since that point, Roy has become the face of the franchise. The Blazers”who were 21-61 the year before Roy arrived”posted a 54-28 record last season. Roy has become the centerpiece of a talented young team had has not only become a force in the NBAs Western Conference but has gone a long way to winning back the Portland fan base. The current crop of Blazers is more likely to be found in the aisles at Home Depot or at Starbucks than in the police blotter, and the team seldom puts forth a substandard effort on the court.

Roys agent Bob Myers strongly suggested that Roy wanted to remain with the Blazers for his entire career, noting that he “is one of the unique players to have a chance to have that sort of relationship with one team.”

The team will now turn its attention to signing a long term deal with forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Like Roy, Aldridge is in the final year of his rookie contract and a key component to the teams recent success. At last report, talks between the two sides are progressing.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on soccer betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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