Nike Basketball News

School Days: Greg Oden

TheLetterJ — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:44:55 GMT

Portland, OR via Columbus, OH via Indianapolis, IN via Terre Haute, IN via Buffalo, NY.

Well-traveled by the time he was taken No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, Greg Oden was also heavily adorned.

He led Ohio State to the championship game as a raw college freshman, sure. But in high school, Greg had already led Lawrence North to three straight Class 4A Indiana state titles.

"We had a great coach, a great coaching staff. Being around them and the things they taught me, it helped me, my mom, my whole family. It was really great being there and learning under a staff that had produced so many great players."

In a basketball-crazy state.

"When I was in Indiana, the high school basketball was really, really good. There are a lot of guys in the league now from all around that area - especially the city of Indianapolis - that I played against. And it was just fun. Every game was packed - all my high school games were sold out. And it was just exciting. Indiana loves its high school basketball."

They won 45 consecutive games to close out his career, including an undefeated senior year as Greg averaged 22.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting an insanely high 74% from the floor. Saving his best for last, he dropped 27 points and ripped down 26 boards against Muncie Central, fiercely controlling the title tilt.

Having a great point guard sure didn't hurt.

"When you have a great point guard, you know those teams are always going to be good. I was blessed to be on teams with one."

Greg built a rock-solid relationship with his point guard.

"We'd knew each other for so long. It was to the point where we were always around each other. People tried to make it like we were the best of friends, but it was even more simple than that. I thought, 'Man, I'm just happy to be around him everyday!' We were able to grow that connection on the court to the point where we just clicked."

Of course, it didn't hurt that Greg was willing to do all the dirty work.

"Somebody's just got to do it. It's a team game so you've got to do a little bit of everything. There are guys out there who are scorers, who are going to get 20, 30 points a game. They just do that. But there's also other guys who are going to get 10 rebounds a game, get 3 blocks a game - and maybe only score a couple of points."

For Greg, it's about embracing the concept of "team."

"You need guys to do that rebounding and defensive work just as much as you need the guys to score. Team means a lot to me. I'm one of those players who isn't worried about scoring - I just want to go out there and help the team in any way possible. There's always going to be a need for defense, there's always going to be a need for rebounding. So that's what I want to go out there and do."

Greg did it so well, McDonald's called with a spot on their All-American squad.

Indiana named him Mr. Basketball.

Before that? He was just the first high school junior since LeBron James to be named Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

But none of those awards drove Greg on the court.

"I never really though about any of that stuff - I just kept on playing. I just wanted to go in and play hard, have fun with it. I was never really thinking about what could come out of it. I wasn't even thinking about where I was gong to go to college until my senior year. I thought, 'OK, I'm going to Ohio State next year.' When I was younger, I just went out and played."

And the hype?

"It has never affected me. Even still to this day - positive or negative - it doesn't bother me at all. I try not to listen to that - I just go out there and play my game."

For Greg, it's about the love he developed for the game.

"I was always way more interested in school than I was in basketball. You know, I really just started playing basketball 'cause I didn't have anything else to do. But then I fell in love with it - just kept playing, and playing and playing. So for young players today, just keep developing that love for the game. Just go out there and play. Don't worry about all the outside influences or what people say. You know what you can do - go out there and have fun."

And pressure? He brushes that aside.

"I try not to think about that, either. I already put a lot of pressure on myself to play well - so I don't worry about what everybody else is saying. If you focus on what you're saying to yourself - on what you want to do and what you know you can do - then all you have to do is go out there and do it."

He entered the NBA as its top draft pick, having never lost a home game in college or high school. But before he got a shot to defend the Rose Garden - his new home court - Greg underwent microfracture surgery to fix his knee and missed the entire season. He was also forced to miss the beginning of his freshman year at Ohio State with a wrist injury.

"It was tough. I really couldn't participate in any of the summer workouts. But it was good, too. I enjoyed being there and just seeing everything, taking it all in. The excitement from missing those first 8 games at Ohio State just got me all rammed up to go when I got back."

And after getting his knee all the way back through a grueling year of rehab, Greg started to deliver on all the promise that catapulted him to the top of the NBA Draft.

"You just have to keep going and try not to worry about it. Injuries happen - they happen to everybody. You can always push through it and you can always learn and be better than you were before you even had the injury. I just used it as an opportunity to get better, get my body stronger and learn something new to improve my game."

Combat Players of the Week: November 9 to November 15

TheLetterJ — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:49:41 GMT

Basketball is combat. You have to attack your man on both ends of the floor. That means pushing the ball on offense, taking it to the hole, being willing to draw contact and then fight through it to finish. It means attacking on defense. Getting position and maintaining that position. Taking the ball away and altering shots. And owning the glass – being relentless on both the offensive and defensive side.

Every Monday, a guard, a wing, and a big will be nominated as the Combat Players of the Week. The team that exemplifies what Combat is all about will be recognized, as well. Here are the players who were Prepared For Combat last week.

Guard: Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings)
The Rookie has put up some good numbers early on in Sacramento. And what's most impressive is how he's attacked on both ends of the floor, witnessed by his 6.4 trips to the line pre game (second among guards), and 1.4 steals (fifth among all guards). He's showing big growth, going for 23.8 points, 6.3 boards, and 5.3 assists over the last week.

Wing: Luol Deng (Chicago Bulls)
Deng's game has shown big growth this season – adding nearly 4 points and 4 boards to last season's numbers. On Saturday, he just missed his 3rd double-double of the season, finishing with 19 points and 9 rebounds. And back on the 3rd at Milwaukee, Luol put together an eye-popping line of 24 points and 20 boards.

Big: Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers)
On the season, Oden has added a point, a rebound, and a block over last year's numbers. And he was even bigger in three Portland wins lat week - check out these numbers: 14 points and 6 rebounds against Memphis, a season-high 18 points and 11 rebounds against Minnesota, and 8 points and 12 rebounds against New Orleans. Add in 2.5 blocks a game, and you get a sense for the continued evolution of the man in the middle in the Pacific Northwest.

Team: Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta's 8-2 record is fueled by playing aggressive and as a team. They've won their past 4, including big wins on the road in harsh environments of New York and Boston, followed by a home win over the Hornets. And they have a balanced attack, with 5 players averaging in double figures.

Who should be the Combat Player of the Week? Evans, Deng, or Oden?

Play With Heart Moments: October 27, 2009

TheLetterJ — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:39:14 GMT

Check out Play With Heart moments from opening night in the NBA from LeBron, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Lamar Odom, and Greg Oden.

<object width="388" height="394" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/swf/1.1/cvp/nba_embed_container.swf?context=nba&videoId=games/cavaliers/2009/10/27/0020900001_bos_cle_recap.nba" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/swf/1.1/cvp/nba_embed_container.swf?context=nba&videoId=games/cavaliers/2009/10/27/0020900001_bos_cle_recap.nba" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="388" wmode="transparent" height="394"></embed></object>

LeBron played like the MVP he is, scoring 38 points and dishing out 8 assists. But his Play With Heart moments came on the defensive end: two transition blocks to stop Boston from scoring easy points.

Cleveland didn't get the W, as Paul Pierce was clutch in the fourth quarter. In the final 1:03, Pierce hit two jumpers, and knocked in two free throws to ice the 95-89 victory.

<object width="388" height="394" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/swf/1.1/cvp/nba_embed_container.swf?context=nba&videoId=games/lakers/2009/10/27/0020900004_lac_lal_recap.nba" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/swf/1.1/cvp/nba_embed_container.swf?context=nba&videoId=games/lakers/2009/10/27/0020900004_lac_lal_recap.nba" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="388" wmode="transparent" height="394"></embed></object>

On ring night in Los Angeles, the Lakers beat the hometown rival Clippers, 99-92. Kobe Bryant played a complete game, with 33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 4 steals. Lamar Odom was ready to play, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists--including two highlight passes in the first half.

<object width="388" height="394" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/swf/1.1/cvp/nba_embed_container.swf?context=nba&videoId=games/blazers/2009/10/28/0020900003_hou_por_recapA.nba" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/swf/1.1/cvp/nba_embed_container.swf?context=nba&videoId=games/blazers/2009/10/28/0020900003_hou_por_recapA.nba" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="388" wmode="transparent" height="394"></embed></object>

In Portland, Greg Oden showed how to Play With Heart in other ways than scoring points. He had 12 rebounds and 5 blocks as he helped Portland beat Houston, 96-87.

What was your favorite Play With Heart moment from Tuesday?

The Family: B-Roy Goes Big

Hotnix — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:16:32 GMT

The NBA has a long history of prolific point guards with ESP, magic hands, and unstoppable pickpocket skills. After his 42 point playoff performance, Portland’s Brandon Roy helping lead the renaissance of the floor general.

As veterans like Steve Nash begin to pass the torch to the next generation of point men, the big story of the past two seasons is worthy of a reality show like America’s Next Top Point Guard.

B-Roy stole the spotlight Tuesday night in Portland's face off against the Rockets. He took over the game from the jump, racking up ten points in the first 12 minutes alone. And after they traded hard earned baskets with Houston all night it was his 42 points that carried them to victory. But Brandon wasn’t alone in his attack.

The Blazer front court always has a way of controlling the paint. LaMarcus Aldridge showed his ever-expanding arsenal, contributing 27 points. Though he only put up four points, Greg Oden’s massive presence and shutdown defense kept the Rockets in check. Meanwhile, Rudy Fernandez continued to prove why he belongs in the league with dynamic dunks, two big steals and 11 crucial points. And with Brandon feeding them the rock, the dimes kept dropping, leading them to a 107-103 victory.

As we all know, people are quick to put Utah’s Deron Williams and New Orleans point man at the top of the point guard list. But based on last Tuesday’s performance and a season average of 22.6 points, 5.1 assists, 2.2 steals and 4.6 rebounds, Roy has led his team to a good postseason start and is keeping himself on the radar as the next big thing.

Brandon Roy and the Portland Trailblazers face the Houston Rockets for game three of their series Friday, April 24th at 7:00pm EST.

The Family: Versus

Hotnix — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:46:27 GMT

2008 goes out fighting with some major battles this week, but 2009 kicks off with 15 phenomenal games and a match-up between two of the league's youngest powerhouse teams.

It’s a battle born in opposite corners of the country when the New Orleans Hornets buzz into Portland to take on the Trail Blazers on their home court. It’s the first contest of 2009 for both teams, so both will be looking to start the year off right. Only one can come away with the win though, which is why we can expect a hard-fought game with guys from both time zones leaving it all out on the floor.

The Hornets will try to put the sting in Portland with the inspired play of David West and his squad, while Portland will look to its young scoring machines Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Fernandez and Greg Oden to win big at home. Setting the tone for ’09 is crucial for both teams, so don’t be surprised if the intensity level starts to get up near the Rose Garden roof. If your New Year’s resolution is to never miss a hot game, here’s your chance to make good on it.

NBA Regular Season

Monday, December 29

Orlando vs. Detroit @ 7:30pm ET

Tuesday, December 30

Cleveland vs. Miami @ 7:30pm ET

Wednesday, December 31

Denver vs. Toronto @ 7:00pm ET

Friday, January 2

New Orleans vs. Portland @ 10:00pm ET

Saturday, January 3

Houston vs. Atlanta @ 7:00pm ET