Greg Oden was asked about his dream scenario for his comeback and if it involved cheerleaders and whipped cream?
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| Greg Oden spent his first year in the NBA on crutches. (Getty Images) |
That dream has been on hold thanks to microfracture surgery last year to repair the massive amounts of hyperviolence inflicted upon Oden's knee. Oden missed all of last season but began rehabbing soon after the surgery, some four days a week, week after week, month after month. But there is only so much rehabbing one can do.
So how did he fill the time?
"I went to a lot of movies," he said.
Which ones?
"I saw Hancock twice," Oden remarked.
Twice? It was that good? Twice?
"I really liked it," he said of the superhero flick. "It wasn't too long. I'm a big Will Smith fan. I even liked Wild Wild West. That movie cracked me up. I'm probably the only one who liked it."
I'm not even sure Smith likes that movie.
Oden has always had a splendid sense of humor and though he stands at 7-feet tall, his head has never been in the clouds. He's as down to Earth as they come.
The real question is when will the NBA see the Oden who dominated college basketball, nibbled on backboards and was said by some to have the potential to be one of the greatest havoc-wreaking big men we've witnessed in years?
Will Oden get the best of the NBA or will that pesky knee get the best of him?
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| Fatbrad: I think Mikey got some of the cheerleaders and whipped cream action, because I haven't seen an article this light and airy in a long while. It's like he was singing "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" as he wrote it. Short sentences, no rambling, all positive with a pinch of giddy. Can't say I learned anything from reading the article, but it was still entertaining. If I had to sum it up in one word: Mirthful. |
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| Mike Freeman: Mirthful? Is that like girth? Are you calling me fat? Are you calling me girthful? Is that a word? On occasion, yes, I do write nice things about nice guys and Greg Oden fits the bill. Because he's mirthful, not girthful. |
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In the coming months there may not be an athlete who faces more pressure than Oden; unless you count Brett Favre ending up in Minnesota or A-Rod dating Madonna.
Oden was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft but has yet to play. The Portland Trail Blazers and fans have been waiting patiently to see just what Oden can do. They're tired of waiting and frankly so is Oden.
"It's been brutal not being able to play," said Oden, who is promoting Gatorade's new G2 drink. "If it was up to me I'd play right now. But I don't want to kill myself. I need to play it smart."
Play is something Oden did in late March but unfortunately it was in a pickup game at a fitness facility -- and not Portland's either. Oden is smart but that move wasn't. The Trail Blazers understandably weren't happy.
"I know he is excited to be moving again, but as I talked to him about it he said 'Coach, I promise I wasn't running hard.' And I was like 'I really don't care,'" Portland coach Nate McMillan said at the time. "The thing is we were surprised. So we let him know that he doesn't need to be there. We have plenty of workout equipment and gym space at our facility.
"Right now, these young guys don't know their value. That's part of growing up and maturing. In a couple of years he will understand how stupid that was. I understand it, because I've done it."
Said Oden: "I was just anxious to play and I wanted to do something. That won't happen again, trust me."
Oden's done with spending his time mostly seeing movies. He's ready to win the wild, wild west.
