In the NBA, even role players have the capability to become Michael Jordan-like for a game or two. Take a look at the greatest role player performances in Portland Trail Blazers history.
The game of basketball has been around for … *checks notes* … 74 seasons. And even so, here’s a thought that sometimes gets lost on basketball experts, even the Twitter ones: regardless of how frustrated you may have gotten at the Portland Trail Blazers’ traffic cone defense this past year, it’s important to remember this:
Whether they’re training at a rec center or walking into a McDonalds, they’re almost guaranteed to be the best basketball player in any building. It simply comes with the territory of being a star in high school and at the collegiate level.
A week ago, a video surfaced of Mike Miller — ironically — taking NCAA stars to work in a 1-on-1 matchup. Few videos will ever highlight the disparity between NBA and NCAA to that degree. After all, Miller was three years removed from his last NBA season, a year in which he averaged 1.4 points per game on 39.1 percent shooting.
The lesson within the lesson? Anyone can get hot for a night. Though those nights become more and more scarce the higher players get at their level of expertise, any player in the NBA is capable of turning into Michael Jordan for a day. Just ask um, LaBradford Smith.
So, in a way of taking a break from the rigors and uncertainties of the current-day NBA, why not take a look at a few of those “Jordan for a Day” examples that relate to the Portland Trail Blazers?
With some thrilling stories to follow, let’s take a trip down memory lane, and inspect some of the greatest surprise games in team history.