SEATTLE -- Garfield’s nationally ranked boys basketball team defeated Ballard by 35, an impressive number in victory, but it also “lost” a number Friday:

The No. 4, which former Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Brandon Roy wore when he played as a Bulldog from 1998-2002.

Garfield High retired the number during the program’s senior night, and Roy and his family were in attendance to see his number enshrined high into the rafters above Garfield’s gym. The ceremony took place during halftime of the Garfield-Ballard game.

Garfield coach Ed Haskins introduced Roy to the packed crowd in Garfield’s stands. Haskins gave a rundown of Roy’s basketball resume – his All-American status while at the University of Washington, winning NBA Rookie of the Year and being named a three-time NBA All-Star with the Portland Trail Blazers, to name a few.

“There’s not many people who have lived to have accomplished what Brandon has,” Haskins told the crowd.

“It’s not just about basketball. And that’s one of the reasons he’s being honored tonight.”

Roy sat courtside with his friends and family, listening as his former coach, best friend and current Bulldogs coach paid tribute to arguably the greatest player to come out of Garfield. His former college coach, Lorenzo Romar, watched the enshrinement, too.

Roy and his kids, with the gym counting down from 10, pulled on a string, which unveiled his number in the rafters. Afterward, Roy spoke on a microphone, thanking his loved ones.

“I had the best parents in the world,” he said. “They worked extremely hard to give us what we needed. We didn’t always get what we wanted, but we got what we needed.

“They cleared the way so all I had to do was focus on being a little kid, playing sports, being good in school and not worrying about nothing.”

Roy said that while his parents paved the way for him to be a kid, his father told him he had to handle his own business on the court.

“My dad said, ‘That’s the only place I can’t save you, Son,’ ” Roy recalled. “That’s the one place you have to save yourself.”

Roy did that. And so much more during a basketball career that was ultimately cut short because of knee issues.

That didn’t stop Roy from reminding the crowd he still has game.

Roy was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2006 NBA Draft before being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. His electrifying ability to score and unassuming demeanor made him a fan favorite in Portland. He retired as a Trail Blazer in 2011 before attempting a comeback with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012.

Trail Blazers fans will never forget No. 7, and those in attendance at Garfield High basketball games will forever be reminded of No. 4.

-- Erik C. Anderson

eanderson@oregonian.com

503-294-7643

@ErikCAnderson