Floyd Mayweather Jr. Has Surprising Role in Blazers' New Locker Room Tradition

Floyd Mayweather Jr. hasn't stepped into the Portland Trail Blazers locker room, but the undefeated boxing legend is already giving Micah Nori's players something to fight for.

Portland has introduced "The Knockout Punch," a new postgame tradition recognizing individual contributions after victories. And whoever collects the most awards this season will receive a pair of boxing gloves signed by Mayweather himself.

The connection comes through Blazers director of health and player performance Courtney Watson, who previously trained the former boxing champion.

It's an unusual incentive … but the reasoning behind it says quite a bit about the culture Nori is trying to establish.

As Joe Freeman of The Oregonian/OregonLive reported, Nori and his coaching staff developed the idea before the season as a replacement for "The Box," last year's award recognizing defensive excellence.

The objective was to create something that wouldn't automatically end up in the hands of Portland's best scorers or defenders.

"We were trying to think of something that would allow everyone to have a chance," Nori said. "A lot of times these things go to your best defenders or the guy who shoots the ball the most."

That opens the door for just about anybody.

Damian Lillard could score 35 points and walk away with the gloves. Deni Avdija could dominate for four quarters and earn them himself.

Or somebody buried deeper in the rotation could play three minutes, force a crucial turnover and completely change the outcome.

Nori even referenced Micah Potter's preseason performance against the Golden State Warriors, pointing to several important plays he made despite limited minutes.

The award can recognize an individual performance, a critical stretch or even one possession that swings a game — giving Nori and his staff plenty of freedom to decide who deserves it.

Lillard became the inaugural recipient after scoring 25 points in Portland's season-opening 124-83 victory over the Phoenix Suns, including 12 during a remarkable 43-12 first quarter.

Toumani Camara followed with the second award after scoring 19 points in the Blazers' 128-120 win over the Sacramento Kings, knocking down two critical three-pointers in the final minutes.

Two wins, two recipients … and two performances that couldn't have looked much different.

Lillard didn't need much introduction when he returned to Portland. Camara, meanwhile, has built his reputation doing the work that doesn't always come with headlines.

The fact that both have already taken home the gloves offers an early indication of what Nori wants this tradition to become.

"I feel like it's something that motivated people last season when we had The Box for defense," Camara told Freeman. "And I think now it's something that can inspire us to try to perform well."

For a Portland roster still figuring out how its pieces fit together, Nori's approach could carry some weight beyond the locker room.

Not everybody will score 20 points. Some reserves might not even have enough time on the floor to attempt five shots. But those minutes can still be enough to make a difference — and Nori wants those contributions recognized.

There's also a little competition involved, with each recipient signing the gloves and adding the date after receiving the award.

And Mayweather's signature waiting at the end of the season gives everyone another reason to chase them.

There will be nights when Lillard carries Portland offensively, when Avdija fills up the box score or when Camara makes life miserable for an opposing scorer.

There will also be nights when somebody comes off the bench, plays four minutes and makes the one play everybody remembers.

Nori wants those moments recognized, too.

Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record. Portland won't come anywhere close to perfection over 82 games … but Nori is already making it clear that every victory should have somebody worth celebrating.

And whoever delivers the most knockout punches will have something signed by one of boxing's greatest champions to show for it.