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GREG ODEN

NBA Career

Pre-draft (2007)
On April 20, 2007, Oden announced that he would be entering the NBA Draft. Former UCLA center and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton said that the world hasn't seen more than flashes of what Oden can do on offense.

On May 23, Oden flew to Portland to meet with Nike executives to talk about a shoe contract.

On May 29, Oden signed with Topps Trading Card Company to a 3-year deal worth at least $3 million. His first deal is a card featuring Oden and Bill Russell.

At the Orlando predraft camp, the weekend of June 2, Oden's official measurements listed him at 6-foot-11 without shoes (7-feet with shoes) and 257 lbs.

On June 19, Oden flew to Portland to meet with the Portland Trail Blazers and went through a workout and physical examination on June 20.

On June 27 ESPN's Ric Bucher incorrectly reported during a draft preview show that the Portland Trail Blazers had informed Oden's camp that he will be the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Oden's agent, Mike Conley, Sr., and the Trail Blazers immediately denied the reports. However, the next day, an hour before the draft, the news was confirmed by Bill Duffy, who heads the agency that represents Oden, that he would be selected first by Portland.

Post Draft
On June 28, 2007, Oden was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the #1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Two of his Ohio State teammates were also chosen in the first round: Mike Conley, Jr. at #4, and Daequan Cook at #21. The last time two or more Ohio State players were selected in the first round of the same draft was in 1962 (Jerry Lucas at #6, John Havlicek at #9).

2007 Summer League
To begin his Trail Blazers career, Oden chose the uniform number 52, explaining the choice as a combination of digits from his numbers in high school (50) and college (20).

On July 1, before his first NBA practice, Oden was signed to a contract which provided for two guaranteed seasons and team options for third and fourth seasons.

2007-08 season
On Sept. 14, 2007, Oden had microfracture surgery on his ailing right knee. He is expected to miss the entire season.

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