Greg Oden Appreciation Thread
by Foofighting101 on Feb 20, 2012 4:33 PM PST
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PrintI've been on crutches twice in my life. In High School I partially tore my achilles, and spent about 5 weeks hobbling around. No surgery was required.
About a year ago I came down on someone's foot playing basketball, heard a "pop" and had to hop off the court. My ankle swelled up like a grapefruit, but luckily it was just a sprain. In a couple of days I could manage getting around in a boot.
My sophmore year in High School I broke my collar bone playing basketball, too. It was painful, and it was probably 6 weeks before I could tie my shoes, put on a shirt, or wipe without pain and discomfort.
When it's all said and done, my experience with injuries is very, very limited. But even with this limited experience I know one thing for sure: being hurt sucks. There's the physical aspect, the pain, struggling with basic tasks like getting in and out of a car, going up stairs, or taking a shower. There's also the emotional aspect. I missed most of my sophmore season with that broken collar bone, and it wasn't easy going to games and practices, not being able to participate.
Greg Oden hasn't sacrificed himself on the court in the way Walton or Roy did, but he has given just as much in his effort and desire to be a Trail Blazer. Surgery after surgery, learning to walk again time and time again. He has put in the time and effort, and we owe him some love and respect. These haven't been elective surgeries. He's not sitting out games because of a toothache either. By all indications he has worked hard each time to come back. He's just a kid, really, but his body may never be right again. That's not an easy thing to cope with.
I went to the Denver game a few weeks ago, and was pretty disappointed in my fellow Blazer fans who booed when Greg's picture was shown on the big screen. Seriously? If we're going to demand class and character from our players, we owe them the same in return. You don't have to love the way his career has turned out (I'm sure he's far from thrilled himself), but he deserves much better from us as fans.
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As disappointing as this is, I have always supported Greg Oden.
And I will continue to support him today.
by Hopman27 on Feb 20, 2012 4:39 PM PST reply actions 31 recs
Best of luck to you Greg
I’m sorry things haven’t worked out the way you would have wanted them to over the past 5 years. I’ll never forget being 2nd row for your 20-rebound performance against the HEAT.
"But if Ding Dongs and prime rib were the path to NBA pivot stardom we'd all be wearing the uniform." -Dave
by douglast on Feb 20, 2012 4:49 PM PST reply actions 3 recs
As bitter as I am about the whole thing, I do feel bad for Greg. Let’s hope he was smart in 2009 following that non-contact injury and started saving his contract money.
"It feels good to give the fans Taco Bell."
- Luke Babbitt, 1/23/2012
by halo_on on Feb 20, 2012 4:53 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
This is key. He could have a very bright future if he's saved even most of his money.
He said he’d like to be a dentist. I hope, if he still wants this, that he pursues this career and loves his future professional life.
Also wish the best for him in his personal life.
And hope that he keeps in shape. He fights his weight and would hate to see him become obese and risk all sorts of other health issues.
STAY HEALTHY GREG!!!!!
I still can't believe that he was boooed.
Stay classy Portland.
Yep, vermin in every corner of the world.
And in most cases, those that take joy in others misfortune are the ones who cry the loudest when life doesn’t go their way.
"Per John Hollingers twitter - Over the final 12:45 of today's game, Brandon Roy's PER was 84.98" GM 4 vs Mavs
I was there for his first regular season game at the Rose Garden
And I remember leaping out of my seat when he got off the bench and headed for the scorer’s table. The energy in the building was incredible, as if the crowd was all thinking “this is the next step on our way to a championship!”. Unfortunately it didn’t happen, but he gave us that moment, and a couple years of hope before the tide turned negatively a while ago. Thank you Greg, for giving us that hope.
Thats so sad
I feel very bad for Greg, he’s the biggest bust in NBA draft history, he had all the talent in the world and never got to use or show it, he came so close to living his dream, but always to have it snatched away. He’ll eventually get over this but the pain of not being able to play will always be there.
Greg is nowhere near the biggest bust in NBA history
Where do you people come up with this nonsense?
La Illaha Illallah Muhamadur Rasulallah
Agreed
I dont think you can call someone who’s career was derailed by injuries a bust, that distinction should be reserved for people who got the opportunity to play but never played to there potential. Not to mention when Greg did play he was FAR from bust.
Exactly
Olawakandi is 100 time a bigger bust than Oden and he doesnt even crack the to p 30
La Illaha Illallah Muhamadur Rasulallah
sorry guys
I’m a big believer in Oden’s ability, so to your point he’s probably not the worst 1st pick in NBA history from a front office perspective because he had talent. But if you define bust as production vs. expectation + circumstances (as opposed to expectations vs. talent + circumstances), he very well could be considered the biggest bust in NBA history.
You’re talking about 82 games in 5 seasons, 5 knee surgeries, and the guy drafted immediately behind him reeling off scoring titles in his early 20s.
Olowokandi played. He was much worse than Oden, but he played, and it doesn’t really matter how good you are if you can’t play because it’s zero production either way.
I personally wouldn’t define Greg as a “bust” necessarily, but depending on your definition he is firmly in this conversation, if not at the top of it, and unfortunately for good reason. It’s a sad saga, but that’s what it is.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Fwiw
Oden produced 2.5 times as many wins as Candyman, according to Win Shares. I dunno what EWA or WARP would have to say…
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
Injury/Underperforming
To call someone a bust they need to suck on the court. They need to prove, night-in-and-night-out, that they are not as skilled and good at basketball as they were hyped up to be. If you’re not on the court because you’re injured, or like, say, Len Bias, you die of a cocaine overdose before you play a game, then you’re not a “bust”. You’re still a sad story and you can make lists of the saddest stories, but it’s not a list of “busts”.
"It all depends on where his growth will come and we think his growth will come within us" -- Kevin Pritchard on Jerryd Bayless
Kwame Brown is also A "Bust" but nowhere near the top
Injured adn OD players are not “busts”
La Illaha Illallah Muhamadur Rasulallah
yeah
it’s all about definition. I guess we need another word. See, I’d call someone like Oden a draft “bust”…but someone like Olowokandi a draft “flop”
Either way, love Greg and think he woulda been a beast
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
I'm curious
Would you define Len Bias as a bust then?
by meru on Feb 21, 2012 10:15 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Still in your corner Oden
Hopefully, when you are back from injury, you pick the Blazers for your next contract.
#52… the man, the myth, the legend….
There won't be a when.
It sucks but there just won’t. This is the SECOND non-contact microfracture surgery he’s needed. Let that sink in.
"It feels good to give the fans Taco Bell."
- Luke Babbitt, 1/23/2012
MF is almost always "non-contact"
since it’s not to address an actual injury, but to repair gradual damage and prevent injury.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
As long as he wants to come back
he’ll come back… hopefully,with the blazers…
Must feel like groundhog's day in Hell for Greg
Oden gave a lot of blazer fans hope and the thrill of a dominant center. The loss we are feeling is just a fraction of what Greg is going through. I can only hope he can, at some point, get healthy and play again. I am behind him all the way. If he does not play again, he certainly deserves better treatment than he has received thus far. Go Greg and Go Portland!
This feels like the end of a sad story
Be well big man.
I feel for you Greg!
Just focus on getting well enough to walk and live your life comfortably for now. Anything beyond that will be a bonus.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
super sad....
I have defended this kid for all these years. Portland is a town of supportive people, but the high expectations turned the average fan, into the people I have heard, boo. Finally, I am ok with letting the dream go.
why is he even at the doctor's office?
he should be spending his time rehabbing.
i like it here, there, everywhere.
by Name's Ash on Feb 20, 2012 6:20 PM PST reply actions 6 recs
Win
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
by dan_the_man on Feb 20, 2012 11:17 PM PST up reply actions
Ballers have to ball, surgeons have to surgeon
The more time you spend around a doctor, the more time he has to doctor around your problem or find the next one. Unfortunately with Greg there seems to be something to find every time you look real close.
by Norsktroll on Feb 21, 2012 7:12 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
THIS is amazingly true...
for instance, there was a study done awhile ago…autopsies were done on war vets who’d died in their late teens/early 20s. Many of these vets had significant coronary artery disease. They were completely healthy young men. The study’s premise was that the symptoms of this disease don’t show up until there is a significant loss experienced by an individual….often decades later…when people went in for tests…..
Greg has had some significant losses in his life….one injury leading to another…ironically, in his case the INJURY caused the loss…which what do you know….lead to ….
Just hope Greg gets out of this loop and is able to focus on what he HAS in his life…the good parts.
My parents live in Florida...
And they, like many FLA seniors, go several times per week to one doctor or another.. Just crazy! But these charlatans are paid by the Feds, and seniors like having somebody actually listen to their stories of pain, and of course, they do need more medical attention, but I do believe that moving to FLA when old doubles your doctor visits…
In Greg’s case, I believe the original doctor who did the first microfracture was a Fakers fan.. I never believed that surgery was necessary… no medical knowledge at all backing that up, I just think it was damn suspicious that his pristine knees turned into glass in a matter of months…
We Love y0ou Greg, You will always be #1 to us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZweOE3iSNfY&feature=related
La Illaha Illallah Muhamadur Rasulallah
by AbuFatimah on Feb 20, 2012 7:04 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I'll be waiting to see you in a Blazer uniform again Greg...
…and wishing you all the best!
(And ya… I don’t need any reality check type comments on this… if you choose to think he’s done I’ll let you do so in peace.)
#7... GO BLAZERS!!!
by Ilikeemall on Feb 20, 2012 7:34 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Greg Oden
It is a difficult struggle, but we persevere.
Thank you for contributing to the fight against Foo
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 20, 2012 11:38 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
My wish for you Greg...
I want you to make it back on the court, performing at peak level, fulfilling all your potential. Along the way you gradually become the most unstoppable player in the league, a player that lets his game do his talking.
Leading the Portland Trail Blazers to their first championship since 1977; holding the MVP trophy with the biggest smile on your face, a face that Portland fans have come to love in the 2 seasons of what many are calling the greatest comeback in NBA history. “This ones for my team, and for the fans in Portland,” you say.
Your career is long, and there are many other great moments, and a few more championships too.
by Wotan on Feb 21, 2012 12:56 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I've been a Greg supporter since his very first surgery
But after this I’m done. If he comes back and provides value (for the Blazers) then that will blow my mind.
How does Greg needing surgery again help us get Chris Paul?
In terms of Oden appreciation:
The feeling of winning the draft is a big part of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thTIYCXcx90
Summer league http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbgepARu7-c
Oden vs Chicago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcXPTG9tnl4
Home premiere. He seemed to have good games against Noah overall, and the blowout against Chicago was one of the funnest games I’ve seen since everything seemed to click.
Oden vs Bynum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rd7yTZMvqI
Great up and under move. MB: “Those guys are gonna see a lot of each other in the future”
Oden vs Yao http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs2j8zSrT9s (well not a great video, but in theory I liked how he played in that series denying Yao the ball and playing as well as could be expected of a rookie center)
The two towers fast break http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhnvYmgRPv0
by Norsktroll on Feb 21, 2012 7:27 AM PST reply actions 4 recs
Just remembering the last 4 or 5 games before the patella...
he was a beast! Really hitting his stride. Dang…
Campaigning to remove "Free-throw Guy" from the Rose Garden.
werd
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Sorry to hear about this news.
I’ve remained optimistic that Greg could make a comeback, but this was pretty shocking. Even though he’d be a menace for my Wolves in the Northwest, the league would be better with Greg Oden playing in it, and as an NBA fan I’m bummed out about this development. Best of luck with the nice team you’ve still got.
www.punchdrunkwolves.com
@PDWolves
by Andy G on Feb 21, 2012 9:21 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Groundhog Greg has a knee surgery again, and again, and again.
I honked twice, however not because I thought THIS would happen. I feel sorry for him. Even if healed, there’s no way he’ll ever have the confidence to play again at full speed due to fear of repeated injury.
you know the way the mind influences what goes on in the body isn't
given enough credit…after 2 microfracture surgeries…it had to be a frightening thought…but a few..at least..one..other player has gone on to play…but maybe Greg’s subconscious had other plans…oh no..I do not want to EVER have to play and fear falling like that again…what if I CAN’T play well ever again…what if…oh I know…maybe I can just avoid that whole horrible prospect…and then there were 3…..
And now I can just get on with my life. Finish college. Become a professional…..whatever I chose. I am young and I can lead a happy, healthy life.
Even though you didn't get to play much,
you gave me one summer of great hope and excitement. Stay well, and enjoy life Greg.
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
I think he needs to quit rehabbing and just eat jelly donuts for a year
at this point, how could it do any harm?
LaMarcus Aldridge All-Star 2011-2012.
by Eat Politicians on Feb 21, 2012 11:57 PM PST reply actions
just read this article from 4 years ago
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/5536/david-thorpe-trouble-signs-for-greg-oden
Honestly, this might be on the training staff for building his muscle instead of trying to get him leaner.
"Wide, girthy. Just like a Rhino. Sometimes my horns are visible."
Sad
That the number one pick in the draft, “once a decade” hyped player that was with us for FIVE years can only generate 50 comments so far in an appreciation thread…
One last time, I guess,
Greg Oden is The Blazer’s Edge.
bummer, we lost our edge,
but Greg Oden is not to blame, he gave his all but the body failed…
Greg – we know you are no quitter. I hope you can get to the point where you can walk without pain. If you ever do come back to play, please make in in Rip City.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
Even if your pro basketball career turns out to be over, that's just the first chapter of your life
Best of luck with the many chapters still in front of you. I’m guessing they’ll turn out much better.
I’ve been thru multiple knee surgeries and rehabs myself. They weren’t public like yours, so I had almost none of the pressure and none of the frustration of having my career derailed before it started. But even at that it was a major drag.
Understand that there’s plenty of Blazer fans like myself who understand what you’ve gone thru and appreciate the class you’ve shown in dealing with it. Best of luck in the future—in basketball or out.
Please excuse my offering one piece of knee advice (I realize you get plenty): if you DO decide to try to come back one more time, PLEASE seek medical and physical therapy advice away from the Blazers’ staff and team doctors. They say that the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.
I still believe in Greg Oden. The Blazers' medical staff? Not so much.
I'd change my handle to "bringback'09," but I'm too lazy.
Memories
For the 2007 draft lottery, I took the day off work, paced nervously around the apartment, meditated, ate at my favorite restaurant, and sat back and waited…
And the sixth pick goes to…I saw the card emerge from the envelope and saw red – that scrap of red in the Bucks logo. For a split second, there was the relief of the expected. Then, I heard it – Mill-waaa-keee. Damn, Al Horford is a pretty nice player, but we already have a four.
And the third pick goes to…Atlanta. Holy #2, we got KD…T-Mac meets Dirk. Not a bad consolation prize.
And the second pick goes to…Seattle. OMG. It’s here. It’s real. Twin towers, toe ring. How do I explain to my girlfriend the significance of this? I go through a manic phase of at least 4 hours trying to rationalize that I’m not in a drug induced stupor from which I’ll awaken to Martell Webster v2.0.
Without you, Greg, I would never have had that day burned into my consciousness forever. Thanks.
by Engineering Problem on Feb 23, 2012 7:38 PM PST reply actions
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