Not NBA-Bound, But Dancing with the Stars - Perhaps

So Greg Oden did his first official press conference following microfracture surgery on his knee that will keep him out of his first year in the NBA.

I really feel sorry for him because he is a genuinely nice kid with a good heart. I hope he takes this time to nurture and grow, eat, sleep, crap with the basketball so that it's an extension of his arm.

And stay away from that Dance Dance Revolution game. He joked that he did not get hurt playing the dance video game is kind of like the foot version of that memory game Simon, only set to music. If you haven't watched, um, uncoordinated teens play it, hit up your local arcade because you're missing out. That's funny that he admitted that he owns it and plays it. Maybe that's where he learned this move here:

Sorry, he fell right into that. Rest up, kiddo.

Update #1: Oden is "Oh, Done"

As an update to my previous post, and a crushing blow to the Portland Trailblazers, their star Greg Oden may be out for the entire season following his knee surgery. They're already comparing this to the debacle that was Sam Bowie, one of the most colossal draft disasters of all time (if you go to the link, note that I came up with "colossal" on my own, and the fact that it appears on this other site is pure coincidence . . . or an indication of just how bad it was). You see, in the 1984 draft, Bowie was selected second overall by the Portland Trailblazer - after Hakeem Olajuwon, who was taken first by the Houston Rockets, but before a player of "spotty" potential . . . none other than his Airness, Michael Jordan.

Now, if you're asking yourself, "Who the heck is Sam Bowie?" then you understand why it is now considered the worst draft decision of all time. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and nobody knew Jordan was going to be as good as he was (especially after Zeke and the Detroit Pistons stuck it to him all those years, until he finally broke through). But while Jordan blossomed - an understatement, I know - Bowie had a career plagued with injuries, and he never amounted to the player that the Trailblazers thought they had.

Enter Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Bill Simmons, a writer for Page 2 on ESPN.com, has always been pro-Durant. But Simmons says that if there was a tie between them, then the Trailblazers should have gone with Durant just based on their injury-risk. I tend to agree with him. Of course, now that Oden's out for a little while, I'm sure they're re-thinking their choice. Check out the Trailblazers' press conference - I know they wanted to cry. Especially when everyone starts calling to cancel their season tickets. And it can't help matters that if Durant stays healthy, he may well be one of the greatest of all-time.

I think it's too early to start calling the Oden pick "Bowie 2.0" but I do hope the youngster comes back and silences his critics. Yes, I called him a youngster.

At Least It's Not Hip Replacement: Oden Having Knee Surgery

You've all heard the "he's really 48" talk, so I'll spare you. I've seen him in person and something about him seems youthful even if he doesn't look the part.

If you haven't heard, Greg Oden, the #1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft for the Portland Trailblazers, is going under the knife. Arthroscopic knee surgery before you ever play an NBA game, and after only one year of college, is not a good sign. But it's not like he has to jump too high, so hopefully they're doing these surgeries better than they used to. Or maybe the Blazers should have just taken Kevin Durant. Only time will tell.