OKC Thunder: Andre Roberson returns to Oklahoma City as member of G League OKC Blue
Feb. 4—OKLAHOMA CITY — As Andre Roberson walked into the press conference room, he touched the OKC Blue backdrop with his hand and looked at it with fondness.
"A lot's changed," Roberson said with a smile.
It certainly has. Saturday marked his first appearance at Paycom Center, formerly Chesapeake Energy Arena, in 1,836 days.
The former Oklahoma City guard played from 2013-2020 with the Thunder, appearing in 302 games and starting 269 of them. But he made his return on Saturday as a member of the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder's G-League affiliate.
Despite not checking into the game against the Stockton Kings, it was the first time the 31-year-old was an active player in Oklahoma City since Jan. 25, 2018.
"It was nostalgic," Roberson said about being back in the building as a player. "It was pretty cool. It was pretty dope... It was really good to see the same faces because we're all family here."
Roberson played a significant role during his Thunder tenure. He became the Thunder's full-time starting shooting guard in the 2014-2015 season and became known as one of the NBA's best defensive players. His defense was a key part of the Thunder's Western Conference Finals appearance in 2016.
He remained an important starter during the 2017-2018 season following the acquisitions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. However, that season was derailed after Roberson ruptured his left patellar tendon during a game at Detroit in Jan. 2018.
Roberson missed the remainder of the 2017-18 season and the entirety of the 2018-19 season due to the injury and other setbacks in the rehab process. His final seven games for the Thunder came during the 2019-2020, all in the Orlando bubble.
Roberson has played only 12 NBA games since then, with the last one coming as a member of the Brooklyn Nets in March 2021 before the franchise waived him.
The Blue announced Wednesday that they had signed Roberson, with the acquisition coming after a month of Roberson practicing with the Blue.
"I didn't have any expectations coming in (practicing) but I wanted to give it my all and see what I can do and go out there and see what I got," Roberson said.
On Thursday, he played 12 minutes against the Austin Spurs, marking his first professional basketball game in 701 days.
With nearly two years between games, the Blue and Roberson are being cautious with his return as he continues to play into shape.
"Dipping my feet in slowly and gradually working into things," Roberson said. "It's my first day back in the building so it's all still kind of new, let alone being on a team and being around the guys. But at the same time, just ready to get back out there (but I) don't want to overexert myself to where I'm back on the sidelines again."
However, this is more than Roberson making a triumphant return to basketball. He's hoping to play in the NBA again.
"I wouldn't step on the court if I didn't want to do that, right?" Roberson said. "Every time I step on the court, I try to play at the highest level I can. I guess you can say my ultimate goal is to see how far I can go."
Clemente Almanza is a sports reporter intern for The Transcript. You can reach him via email at calmanza@normantranscript.com or on Twitter @CAlmanza1007
