What’s up, Enjoyers? In light of John Wall’s retirement announcement, let’s all hit the dougie one time! 🔥

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Cory Joesph, Aari McDonald, and Jerryd Bayless! 🎉

Around the Association

John Wall announces his retirement from the game of Basketball

The D.C. legend has decided to call it a career. 🤝

Tuesday morning, five-time NBA All-Star John Wall announced his retirement from the game of basketball after an 11 year playing career in the league.

One of the most flashy, quick, and thrilling guards to step foot on the hardwood in the 2010s, the former number one overall pick quickly changed the culture for the Washington Wizards franchise and became a fan-favorite instantly.

Alongside his backcourt mate Bradley Beal, J-Wall brought playoff basketball back to D.C. after a multi-year long drought, and gave Wizards fans some incredible playoff memories that are simply unforgettable.

I mean, who could forget this iconic game winner to force a game 7 against Boston during the 2017 ECSF? ⬇️

Although it’s never easy seeing our childhood favs retire, it gives us hoop fans the opportunity to celebrate their career and look back on their best moments.

Enjoy retirement, J-Wall! You deserve it. 😁

Raptors extend and appoint GM Bobby Webster to Head of Basketball Operations

It’s now been six seasons since Kawhi Leonard and company led the Raptors to their first ever championship. On Monday, the franchise officially locked in the man they believe will make the moves that will get the North back on top of the NBA world.

The Raps are appointing their General Manager, Bobby Webster, to Head of Basketball Operations, and have also reached an agreement on a new contract, per Shams.

After letting go of long-time lead executive and former Executive of the Year Masai Ujiri just one day after the NBA draft back in June, Toronto interviewed several candidates to take over Ujiri’s former role. Ultimately, the team felt the best man for the job was Webster, who has been with the franchise since 2013.

After acquiring forward Brandon Ingram during this past year’s trade deadline, the Raptors will now have their shot at getting a full season with Ingram in the mix along with the squad’s nucleus of Scottie Barnes, R.J. Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, in hopes to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022. 🔥

Wayback Wednesday

Although it’s been almost 50 years since RipCity has seen their Portland Trail Blazers raise the Larry O’Brien trophy, they’ve been fortunate enough to have witnessed the greatness of several franchise legends, such as Clyde Drexler in the 80s and 90s, and more recently (and soon to be for a second time 🤩), Damian Lillard.

But in-between the “Clyde the Glide” and “Dame Time” eras, there was a small window in the late 2000s where the city of Portland got to experience the talents of another big-time, high-flying, electrifying scorer- before injuries tragically cut his career far too short.

In today’s edition of Wayback Wednesday, we’re celebrating the career of Blazers legend, Brandon Roy! 🔥

B-Roy was drafted with the sixth pick in the 2006 NBA draft out of the University of Washington, and right away, got to work. He took home the 2007 Rookie of the Year award, boasting averages of 16.8 points per game along with four assists, while shooting 37% from beyond the arc. His stellar inaugural season quickly earned the trust of the organization and the fanbase.

Following his rookie season, he just kept getting better….and better….and, you guessed it, better. By just his third season, he made his first All-Star team in a western conference LOADED with talented guards, and earned himself a spot on the All-NBA second team. Not too shabby for a guy who was playing college ball just three years prior!

I mean, just look at these highlights: 😱

Unfortunately for Roy and the Blazers, his All-NBA level play was short-lived. A string of knee injuries that started during the 2009-10 season turned into a nightmare scenario. In 2012, at just the age of just 27, he retired from the game altogether. The potential long term effects of his injuries were to the point where he was advised by his doctors to no longer play basketball. 😪

Brandon Roy is generally known as one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history. However, he accomplished more in his playing career than a lot of players can say. He earned the respect of his peers, including arguably the best player in the world at the time, Kobe Bryant, who said Roy was the toughest player to guard in the west.

Although B-Roy’s career did not turn out the way we all had hoped, we still have the luxury of enjoying the pure hooper that he was and celebrating the impact he’s had on the sport.

Three in the Key

It’s almost impossible to accurately predict how each team will perform next season, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t try!

In the latest Numbers On The Board episode, Kenny, Pierre, Mike, and Darrick predict the ceilings and floors of each Eastern Conference squad for the upcoming season.

Give it a listen! ⬇️

Signing Off

That’s all we have for today, Enjoyers! Thanks for making us a part of your day. If you have some time this week, take a few minutes to either sit or walk around outside with zero distractions. No phone, no headphones, just you and the sounds of nature. It’s a great way to relax your mind and body, even if just for a few minutes!

See you on Friday!

Bobby Kasmire