Brandon Roy finally made his much anticipated return to the Rose Garden as a member of the Timberwolves. And even though it was killing him not to be on the court playing, the ovation he received from the fans in the first quarter more than made up for his playing absence.

All 20,390 stood up to show their gratitude towards a key figure who had so much to do with the transforming of a team from the Jail Blazer era to now what is a respectable organization.

Tonight’s ovation touched Roy to the point that he compared this evening to how he felt after the birth of his first child, Brandon Roy Jr.

“You know before your child is born and you wonder what he may look like and when he’s born, he’s just perfect?” Roy asked. “That’s the way I felt tonight. I didn’t know what to expect but it was just perfect. It caught me by surprise. For them to do that, showed me how important I was and I will be forever grateful for that moment.”

via Chris Haynes of Comcast Sportsnet