I’m not sure whether to laugh, cry, or just sit around in a complete state of disappointment after hearing the news last night that Greg Oden will once again miss an entire season with another knee surgery. I think almost every fan of NBA basketball has been patiently waiting and anticipating seeing what Greg Oden can do on an NBA basketball court. But injury after injury, and surgery after surgery have meant he will miss the majority of his first 4 seasons in the NBA. This latest surgery, ‘microfracture’ is extremely difficult to come back from as well. What does this mean for Oden’s career?
Oden hasn’t played since last December because he needed surgery to repair a fractured left patella. The Blazers say this operation, announced Wednesday night and scheduled for Friday in Vail, Colo., will repair damaged cartilage and is unrelated to the patella injury.
Oden, the first name announced in the 2007 NBA draft, missed his rookie season because of microfracture surgery on his right knee. The procedure stimulates cartilage growth.
Blazers trainer Jay Jensen said the latest problem with Oden’s left knee became apparent about two weeks ago when he experienced some pain and fluid in the joint. Soon thereafter, an MRI revealed the damage.
“We sat there and it was like we’d been kicked in the stomach,” Jensen said, choking up. “It felt like hearing someone close to us had died.”
Oden was having arguably the best season of his career when he broke his left kneecap during a game last December against the Houston Rockets. He was averaging 11.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks as a starter.
The 7-footer often has been compared to former Portland center Sam Bowie, whose career was beset by injuries after the Blazers famously selected him in front of Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft.
The Blazers picked Oden instead of Kevin Durant, who went to the Oklahoma City franchise and has blossomed into one of the NBA’s best players.
Read more details via AP on NBA.com
