reflections
May 14th, 2008 Greg Oden Returns Home For Events & Hoops

Greg Oden

Jeff Rabjohns of the Indy Star has put together a comforting piece about Portland Trail Blazers injury-plagued phenom Greg Oden. The top pick in 2007’s NBA draft recently returned home, where he visited his old high school (Lawrence North) for events and some lighthearted hoops with locals.

“I’ve got a long summer ahead of me. I’ve got to take it slow to make sure nothing happens so I’m ready for next season,” he said.

“Portland’s been awesome with the support they’ve shown me. Even knowing I wasn’t going to play this year, they’ve been there for me every step of the way.”

Oden was visibly bigger and stronger from his college days, partly because he became addicted to lifting weights, one of the few things he could do. Every time his teammates practiced, he hit the weights, eventually being told by the Blazers to back off for fear of bulking up too much.

“I was doing it just to do it. It got to a point I’d be in the weight room doing hard lifts five days a week. That’s where I had a chance to get some of the stress out of me,” he said.

Through all the hype and attention, the seven-foot stud has also made it a point to stay focused on the task at hand:

“My first thoughts are coming out there and having a good season. I don’t really think about all that. I just think about establishing myself,” he said. “I have to prove myself before I can become the face of anything, and that’s what I think about a lot.”

Let’s wish Oden as successful a recovery as possible, and stay hopeful that puts together a healthy rookie season in 2008-2009. It’d be a real shame to see a talent and genuine personality like this go to waste due to uncontrollable health issues. Let’s hope Oden doesn’t miss a beat and becomes the dominant force he was destined to be.

Posted By: Dustin Chapman

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