Oden center of media frenzy after slight ankle sprain

TUALATIN, Ore. — Of all the ways the Portland Trail Blazers could have started training camp on Tuesday, this was among the last they would have picked.

As the media was allowed into the season’s first practice, No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden — preparing for his first season after spending all of last year recovering from microfracture surgery — was nowhere to be found.

He emerged moments later with trainer Jay Jensen, limped down the sideline on a sprained right ankle, hopped on a stationary bike and rode it for the remainder of the workout.

What followed felt like a four-alarm media emergency.

“I was told by the trainer that he was going to be OK,” said Blazers coach Nate McMillan. “A little tweak. He should be ready for tonight.”

In fact, the injury was as mild as they come — a grade-one sprain, general manager Kevin Pritchard said. It likely would not have prevented Oden from returning to practice had he chosen to do so.

But when you’re Greg Oden and the anticipation of your debut has been building for 15 months, nothing is a minor injury — a reality that Oden acknowledged with a terse tone.

“I can’t even fall on the ground without somebody’s breath going away,” Oden said.
And up to that point, the 7-foot center said he had participated in the full practice without any signs of trouble.

The surgically repaired knee? Oden said there was no soreness or difficulties detected.

His conditioning? Still in need of improvement, though McMillan said Oden was clearly prepared after working out for the last few months.

“He looked really good out there,” Pritchard said. “It’s just a little tweak. ... That happens, and we can’t be oversensitive to everything he does. You know, basketball is a physical sport and those things happen.”

Except, once again, when it’s Greg Oden. And as questions persisted, the situation sounded like he had broken his ankle and not simply tweaked it, at one point prompting McMillan to start laughing and turn the question around.

“Listen to you guys!” McMillan said. “Whoa! It’s gonna be fine. Jay looked at it and he’s back out here. He’s OK.”

Oden also calmly dismissed the concern and pointed out that he had participated in every drill before turning the ankle — which he did immediately before the media was allowed onto the practice floor. Up to that point, Oden said, he was playing at full speed and felt good doing it. The only reason he stayed out of practice, Oden said, was to avoid straining the ankle further.

But Oden insisted the injury was minor and treated the news as if it was hardly worth mentioning. And when one reporter asked what went through his mind when the injury occurred, Oden sounded confused.

“Nothing,” he replied. “Get the rebound?”

Blazers officials expect Oden to be doing just that today. The injury was not expected to sideline him for Tuesday night’s conditioning workout, nor this morning’s live practice.

That point only had to be repeated about two dozen times to get it across.

“Injuries are a part of basketball,” McMillan said. “He has to go out and play. The thing he has to do is get confidence in being out here on the floor, and part of that is trusting himself. And we’ve got to trust him. He’s gonna be fine. A little tweak. We’ll throw some tape on it if we need to and he should be ready.”