Norman Powell Goes Deep On His Tearful Goodbye From Toronto At The Players' Tribune

In a lengthy post at The Players' Tribune, the Trail Blazers guard describes his emotions after learning he was traded to Portland.

Norman Powell, it's more obvious than ever, never wanted to be dealt from the Toronto Raptors. But just because he longed to finish his career where it started hardly means Powell isn't excited about the prospect of bringing a championship to Portland.

In a must-read article at The Players' Tribune, Powell candidly described his emotions upon learning he'd been traded from the Raptors to the Trail Blazers last week.

Drafted by Toronto in 2015, Powell was an early part of a young core in Toronto that helped the franchise win its first ever title four years later. With longtime teammates Pascal Siakam, Fred Van Vleet and OG Anunoby by his side, he dreamed of turning the Raptors back into a perennial contender.

"I always thought of myself as part of the core that was being built around. Me, Freddy, Pascal, we all kind of came up together. We’re all about the same age. We’re thick as thieves, man. And I really felt like our group, plus OG, we were destined to be the next great Raptors team."

Powell's second game with the Blazers came against his former team in its temporary home of Tampa Bay. Hoping to avoid the flood of sentiment that would accompany interacting with his former teammates and Raptors staffers, Powell arrived to Tampa's Amalie Arena on Sunday intentionally late.

But interactions with his former Toronto cohorts proved inescapable. During a heart-to-heart with Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, Powell couldn't help but let the tears flow.

"It was straight-up waterworks. I started breaking down crying … all the memories that I’d been holding back for those last couple of days, they came rushing back in."

Powell shared an especially heartfelt conversation with Van Vleet, who he calls his "best friend." He also waxed poetic about the impact former teammate DeMar DeRozan had on the early part of his career, and fondly recalled feeling like "kids in a candy store" with Van Vleet while flying on the team plane with the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The post-trade words that meant most to Powell, unsurprisingly, came from Kyle Lowry. The Toronto icon left no doubts that Powell's place in Raptors lore was permanent. 

“You will always be a part of this history," Lowry told him.

Powell didn't mince words: He dreamed of being a Raptor during the pre-draft process and never imagined playing anywhere else. The "family" Powell had in Toronto is one he'll never forget.

Powell's agony at leaving Toronto doesn't obscure his zeal for playing in Portland, though. A fiery competitor whose career has been built by steadfast belief in himself, Powell "loves" that the Blazers acquired him with the goal of winning big.

"I love that we’re going for it — and I love that the team went out and got me because we’re going for it. Thanks for what’s already been a warm welcome. Let’s get to work."

[Norman Powell, The Players' Tribune]

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