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| Photo courtesy of Tom Lipman |
Although we have mentioned Greg Oden on numerous occasions
here at Loveboatsports, today’s reference is that of a more somber one. Earlier today, Greg Oden underwent surgery on
his right knee. To clarify, this is not
the knee that was in question earlier in December. The Trail Blazers were reporting that knee,
the left one, might be operated on
today. Doctors are cleaning up debris in the right knee and hope that is the only problem.
The last time Oden played in a
professional basketball game was in December of 2009. T.I.’s song Live Your Life Ft. Rihanna was
the #1 song if that gives you any sort of reference point. In 4+ years
in the league, Greg Oden has played 82 games, one full season. And although it’s not surprising, it is
amazing how our expectations of him have changed since he was drafted ahead of
Kevin Durant in 2007. Although his first
season was unsurprisingly plagued by injury, I remember a collective feeling of
disappointment with his play. Now as I
look back at his stats, I defensively justify his value. I mean yeah he’s not a franchise player, but
he averaged ten point and eight rebounds and was a defensive force. Other than averaging over six fouls per 36
minutes, he was a pretty efficient player.
But thinking of him as an efficient player, hell any type of player, has
been burrowed in the deepest part of my mind.
Whenever I
see Oden’s name in a headline, my heart instantly fills with a feeling of
dread. There are countless other stories
of players with sad, injury-riddled careers, but Oden’s has stuck with me for
some reason. At this point I realize my
hope for a legitimate comeback is irrational.
But, hope is a good thing; maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies.
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