Event Oden coming to Portland for first time since leaving Blazers

I gotta imagine there will be a very hearty Oooo-Den, Oooo-Den chant when they put him up on the screen.

 

Do ya’ll not remember that he literally punched his girlfriend in the face…yeah…can’t wait to “cheer” for this POS.

 

Shit. I didn't know about that. Looks like that's how he ended his career.

No excuse for that shit. Some weirdness was going on. They had been broken up for over two months yet his ex and her friend from Oregon were over visiting Oden at his mother's house...

But he cooperated and apologized. Didn't even deny it, so...

 

Would have been one of the most dominant centers in NBA history if he had only been able to stay healthy.

 

That RAMBO line up that never materialized sadly

Roy
Aldridge
Miller
Batum
Oden

 

What articles never describe is his strength. Most NBA games he played, he was hurting and operating at 50%. So coaches couldn't teach him subtleties, just basic moves, which he did with thunderous power, which might explain why his bones couldn't take the stress. I remember sometimes in a rebound, I thought I was watching Shaq.

 

Is it just me, or has Oden's voice changed a lot since his playing days? Maybe that's what he always sounded like when he wasn't depressed/sulking, so we never heard his natural way of talking?

 

That tracks with articles that used to be online but for whatever reason, have now been wiped clean off the internet. I remember - perhaps during his Exit Interview - where Oden stated he was only 80-85% throughout his rookie season.

Then, there was another article that mentioned his leg muscles were so strong that it contributed to him snapping his patella? I don't even know if that's possible but I swear I read it somewhere.

It does make me wonder if the microfracture surgery were never performed, could Oden have had an Embiid type career where he struggled with random injuries but was able to have a thriving career?

People bring up the different leg lengths (8mm difference in Oden's case) but either the majority of the population or a significant portion have different leg lengths so I'm not sold on that (one study citing 90% being around/under 10mm similar to Greg, another citing 33% are around/under 10mm).

 

There was also the much more significant thing, that wasn't revealed until well after the draft, about his leg nearly falling off in middle school I think.

 

Very cool to listen to him. Seems he has a very good outlook on life. His could have gone much differently but he focused on the right things and now wants to share with others to help them be better decision makers, earlier on.
Much respect to Oden.

 

The maturity is noticeable not only in appearance but now in demeanor. Happy to see it

 

As someone there on draft night chanting Oden, Oden, Oden at center court after picking him number 1 overall...it hurts to realize that was 17 years ago!

 

It always pissed me off they performed this without him playing in a game.

 

Goosebumps….even 17 years later

 

Oden experienced major disappointment at a young age. Everything he had worked for and dreamed about was gone. Don't underestimate how crushing that is, and in his case it was public. No hiding behind closed doors and crying. The whole world called him failure.

He did some indefensible things. But he also went back to school, started a new career and has a stable relationship.

Good luck.

 

Preview of the upcoming draft lottery watch party

 

YES! Atta’ Boy! Can’t remember, but weren’t we slotted in the 7th spot prior to that lottery?

 

5% chance of winning