"I'm nothing now"

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

That sounds like exactly the type of shady bullshit a Paul Allen/Bert Kolde operation would do. Way to go, you fucking idiots.

Dude, they brought Jermaine O'Neal's HS school coach here to be a part of the organization. Teams do stuff like that all the time - do what they can to help their player. We don't know the full purpose and intent of the Blazers in Greg's situation - you're taking the word of someone who has a lot of ties to Oden (and thus has reason to take Oden's side) and letting his and Greg's speculation lead you into pointing blame at Portland. Fuck, there is no real evidence Portland did anything wrong. Oden, who already was very clearly weak and insecure, simply let his weak mind get to his head and he got paranoid about it, warranted or not.

He should have been a man and asked about the circumstances.... rather than speculate, let the insecurity taint the mind, and then become a jaded little bitch.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I heard about Oden's dog a while back from a friend who works with some Oden's friends. The sad thing is, after it happened, he was afraid the media would blame him, and it would become a big media story about how he did this terrible thing and how it was all his fault.

Because he's weak and paranoid he would think that. Vaginitis of the mind is a terrible, debilitating disease. Starts in the cranium, and spreads through the body.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I heard about Oden's dog a while back from a friend who works with some Oden's friends. The sad thing is, after it happened, he was afraid the media would blame him, and it would become a big media story about how he did this terrible thing and how it was all his fault.

Alcoholism causes paranoia, so this isn't surprising.

 

[PapaG]

Dude, they brought Jermaine O'Neal's HS school coach here to be a part of the organization. Teams do stuff like that all the time - do what they can to help their player. We don't know the full purpose and intent of the Blazers in Greg's situation - you're taking the word of someone who has a lot of ties to Oden (and thus has reason to take Oden's side) and letting his and Greg's speculation lead you into pointing blame at Portland. Fuck, there is no real evidence Portland did anything wrong. Oden, who already was very clearly weak and insecure, simply let his weak mind get to his head and he got paranoid about it, warranted or not.

He should have been a man and asked about the circumstances.... rather than speculate, let the insecurity taint the mind, and then become a jaded little bitch.

Bringing in a HS coach is one thing, but hiring a professional therapist who was working with Greg, and apparently not even talking to Greg about it, is just dumb. If the Blazers wanted to hire him, they should have talked to Greg and asked if he'd have any issues with it. Apparently, based on that interview, nobody even thought to talk to Oden about the potential conflict of interest.

So typical of this franchise...

 

[PapaG]

He should have been a man and asked about the circumstances.... rather than speculate, let the insecurity taint the mind, and then become a jaded little bitch.

I'm not sure at age 21 I'd have felt like I was the one that needed to ask questions of ownership. Just seeing somebody I entrusted as a counselor talking to my bosses would make me distrustful. According to this timeline, the hiring of this person coincides with KP basically being on the outs, and the Vulcans taking over the show. If the Blazers didn't know they're franchise #1 pick was a basket case, that's on them, IMO.

 

[blazedanugz]

this is no news....ive said on here for years i've seen greg out numerous times gettin shitfaced. even walking around with a cane. I truely believe alcohol was the biggest problem he had here. the negative affects it has on a person mentally is unmeasurable considering it varies from person to person. obviously, it affected greg a lot. not to mention all the negative affects it has a on a persons body.....

 

[Mediocre Man]

I like Greg, and hope the kid does well with whatever lies ahead. I put this more on KP than anyone else. the psych evaluation surely should have shown signs that he wanted to play close to mommy, or that he was a bit mentally fragile. You had 1-A right there, it's not like there was a huge drop off

 

[Eastoff]

That interview confirmed most of the negative thoughts I developed for Greg as setback after setback, and excuse after excuse (primarily from fans, but it still made an impression) accumulated.

Here's a thought, Greg. Do you think Kevin Durant gives a shit where he's playing? He's in the middle of bumbfuck America, yet he's a baller who apparently thinks that the practice facility in OKC is just as good as a practice facility in Los Angeles.

What a disaster. Just a horrendous decision in hindsight. I'd rate it as even worse as Sam Bowie, simply because at least Bowie had the trade value to net Buck Williams.

The biggest draft bust of all time, Greg Oden, and he has the passive personality to match it.

Well said.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Bringing in a HS coach is one thing, but hiring a professional therapist who was working with Greg, and apparently not even talking to Greg about it, is just dumb. If the Blazers wanted to hire him, they should have talked to Greg and asked if he'd have any issues with it. Apparently, based on that interview, nobody even thought to talk to Oden about the potential conflict of interest.

So typical of this franchise...

So typical of you!! Twisting words.

I saw nothing that said Portland hired Carr without consulting Oden or discussing with him. Am I blind? I checked again, and maybe I'm still missing it, but I saw NOTHING that said what you just accused Portland of.

 

[PapaG]

this is no news....ive said on here for years i've seen greg out numerous times gettin shitfaced. even walking around with a cane. I truely believe alcohol was the biggest problem he had here. the negative affects it has on a person mentally is unmeasurable considering it varies from person to person. obviously, it affected greg a lot. not to mention all the negative affects it has a on a persons body.....

You used to get berated for posting it, too, which is a joke.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Bringing in a HS coach is one thing, but hiring a professional therapist who was working with Greg, and apparently not even talking to Greg about it, is just dumb. If the Blazers wanted to hire him, they should have talked to Greg and asked if he'd have any issues with it. Apparently, based on that interview, nobody even thought to talk to Oden about the potential conflict of interest.

So typical of this franchise...

Oden has issues. Don't shoot the Blazers for trying to get Oden help and onto the basketball court (I can see why Oden's own motivation could be questioned).

A center who is being payed millions of dollars, is concerned that the person he is working with and payed by the Blazers is saying things to management. My question is what are you paranoid about and what are you afraid will be said? Does he not understand a franchise and fan base is hoping and counting on him being able to play and help the team. That he has played minimal games. OF course the organization wants to know what is going on. If GO is so concerned about information going back and forth (not sure why) then hire your ownh damn personal trainer . . . he is certainly get paid enough.

Blazers have coddled GO for years and all it has done is feed more of this entitlement personality.

 

[PapaG]

So typical of you!! Twisting words.

I saw nothing that said Portland hired Carr without consulting Oden or discussing with him. Am I blind? I checked again, and maybe I'm still missing it, but I saw NOTHING that said what you just accused Portland of.

Who cares? I think Paul Allen and Bert Kolde are incompetent nitwits who get in their own way when on the verge of success. I read into it that Carr would talk with management, when the entire role was supposed to be working with players. Just a dumb move, and typical, IMO, of this two-bit operation.

 

[Reep]

I'm a little surprised that this stuff didn't come up in his psych eval before the draft. Maybe it did and they ignored. it

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

this is no news....ive said on here for years i've seen greg out numerous times gettin shitfaced. even walking around with a cane. I truely believe alcohol was the biggest problem he had here. the negative affects it has on a person mentally is unmeasurable considering it varies from person to person. obviously, it affected greg a lot. not to mention all the negative affects it has a on a persons body.....

Same. Met up with friends at the bar that were out hanging with him, actually. One or two of my friends used to "hang" with/from him a few times. Dude is cool. But he had no focus or drive. I'm sure the injuries furthered that.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I'm a little surprised that this stuff didn't come up in his psych eval before the draft. Maybe it did and they ignored. it

There was a huge discussion at the time of the draft (on the other board) about the difference in mentality between Durant and Oden. Durant lived, ate and breathed basketball. Oden wants to be a dentist.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Who cares? I think Paul Allen and Bert Kolde are incompetent nitwits who get in their own way when on the verge of success. I read into it that Carr would talk with management, when the entire role was supposed to be working with players. Just a dumb move, and typical, IMO, of this two-bit operation.

Dude, the franchise hired the guy. You don't think people in the organization are going to talk to him?

WTF, man?? We have our own resident board member who talks to members of the organization all the time. You think he's giving them any insight? Fuck no! Not that HCP has much to offer anyway....

But chatting with someone doesn't make them guilty. He's an employee. How often are people hired and then nobody in the organization speaks to them? Maybe they were talking to him about what his job entails, schedule, etc. Oden was dealing with the wrong person if he hired a guy willing to be bought - Carr can't divulge that information. And then you could spin it.... if it were me, I'd be happy the Blazers were trying to get into my head - it would show that they were concerned and wanted to help out.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I heard about Oden's dog a while back from a friend who works with some Oden's friends. The sad thing is, after it happened, he was afraid the media would blame him, and it would become a big media story about how he did this terrible thing and how it was all his fault.

Afraid the media would blame him?!? Afraid it was his fault?!? Duh! The dog didn't check himself into a room on the 8th floor.

 

[Mediocre Man]

There was a huge discussion at the time of the draft (on the other board) about the difference in mentality between Durant and Oden. Durant lived, ate and breathed basketball. Oden wants to be a dentist.

Yes, but one will win championships, and the other will win scoring titles. KP never told us it would be the same one that did both. Shame on us for assuming

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Who cares? I think Paul Allen and Bert Kolde are incompetent nitwits who get in their own way when on the verge of success. I read into it that Carr would talk with management, when the entire role was supposed to be working with players. Just a dumb move, and typical, IMO, of this two-bit operation.

And who cares? Shit, if the situation were reversed, I'd be getting called out for twisting words and reading something from the article that wasn't in there. You made an incorrect assertion.

 

[PapaG]

Dude, the franchise hired the guy. You don't think people in the organization are going to talk to him?

WTF, man?? We have our own resident board member who talks to members of the organization all the time. You think he's giving them any insight? Fuck no! Not that HCP has much to offer anyway....

But chatting with someone doesn't make them guilty. He's an employee. How often are people hired and then nobody in the organization speaks to them? Maybe they were talking to him about what his job entails, schedule, etc. Oden was dealing with the one person if he hired a guy willing to be bought - Carr can't divulge that information. And then you could spin it.... if it were me, I'd be happy the Blazers were trying to get into my head - it would show that they were concerned and wanted to help out.

I'm talking about Oden's perception, not Vulcan intentions, which is all that matters in this context.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

There was a huge discussion at the time of the draft (on the other board) about the difference in mentality between Durant and Oden. Durant lived, ate and breathed basketball. Oden wants to be a dentist.

I still think all of this adds up to (being a big piece of) KP being fired. Ignored psych evals, medical evals...

 

[PapaG]

And who cares? Shit, if the situation were reversed, I'd be getting called out for twisting words and reading something from the article that wasn't in there. You made an incorrect assertion.

I incorrectly asserted Oden's negative perception of seeing Carr talking to Blazer officials?

Whuuuuuut?

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I incorrectly asserted Oden's negative perception of seeing Carr talking to Blazer officials?

Whuuuuuut?

No. You stated something you made up as if it were fact. Not really surprised - you often do that to support your arguments. Nothing about that interview says anything about the organization NOT checking with Greg first. Absolutely nothing. But your quote clearly does. But, 1, you're not a credible source. And, 2, you're even less of a source for the article we're discussing.

"Bringing in a HS coach is one thing, but hiring a professional therapist who was working with Greg, and apparently not even talking to Greg about it, is just dumb. If the Blazers wanted to hire him, they should have talked to Greg and asked if he'd have any issues with it. Apparently, based on that interview, nobody even thought to talk to Oden about the potential conflict of interest."

 

[crandc]

First, whatever the Blazers' relationship with this shrink was, if he told the org what he'd discussed in sessions with Greg, that is a serious breach of medical ethics. Either the shrink was crooked or Oden was getting paranoid (or both).

I remember the psych evals, there was concern Durant would want the spotlight, that he'd bolt for bright lights and big cities. That the Blazers would be like the Cavs after LeBron. While Oden was seen as someone who would fit in and like it here. Turns out not to be the case, either way. I've always felt psych evals were bs. This was sure an example.

I do understand some of his points. The other young guys were playing, they were in daily contact with older players and coaches. Greg had too much money and too much time on his hands and was too young to handle the situation. But I'm not sure what the Blazers could do about it. He could have sought advice. He was always welcome to travel with the team but did not or could not. Supposedly having his cousin was going to help, turned out otherwise, but did Greg say anything to the Blazers?

As for Greg having bad luck coming to terrible Portland as opposed to wonderful Seattle, which city still has a team? I mean, doesn't that say something about the respective organizations? Just what does this writer think the medical staff should have done, based of course on his medical degree and expertise in skeletal injuries? Aside from saying Greg "may" have gone elsewhere and Blazers "may" have done something wrong?

Frankly I just see a lot of shit luck.
And the usual suspect who either say "Greg is horrible! String him up!" or "The Blazers are horrible! String them up!"

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

First, whatever the Blazers' relationship with this shrink was, if he told the org what he'd discussed in sessions with Greg, that is a serious breach of medical ethics. Either the shrink was crooked or Oden was getting paranoid (or both).

....

Frankly I just see a lot of shit luck.
And the usual suspect who either say "Greg is horrible! String him up!" or "The Blazers are horrible! String them up!"

Totally agree on both points. I mentioned earlier Greg was dealing with the wrong person if Carr was actually selling his inside information (of Greg) to the Blazers. That'd be so messed up and very unethical for Carr to give away such knowledge. I don't know the guy, so I'd like to think this wasn't the case, and Greg is just paranoid. If Greg has the wherewithal to set himself up with a psychologist, if he has any doubts or concerns, he should have taken the time to express them.

Your point at the end.... Funny thing is, the organization, and most fans, have wished Greg well. Greg is blabbing and saying unflattering things about Portland. Another sign of insecurity and paranoia, IMO.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

I'm so tierd of Greg Oden and his "aw shucks" personality.

I didn't see Brandon Roy, LA or Nick Batum have any trouble living adjusting in Ptd being young, rich and black.

Truth is Oden's issues with Ptd were Oden's individual issues. He never showed a passion for the city or the game of basketball. He wants to use Ptd as an excuse, the medical staff as an excuse, alcohol as an excuse. He wants to point to all the reasons and excuses for his lack of performance on and off the court.

Maybe . . . maybe, GO had no control over his injuries. But he had control over the person he bcecame off the court. And what I saw was a nice guy who was more committed to his social life (drinking and partying) than he was to basketball, the Blazers and the city of Ptd.

He could of left with either nothing to say or someting positive to say. Instead he handled this interview like he has handled his basketball career . . . coming across as a nice guy but not one who seems very driven in life or even thinks about some of the things he is saying.

Oden has issues. Don't shoot the Blazers for trying to get Oden help and onto the basketball court (I can see why Oden's own motivation could be questioned).

A center who is being payed millions of dollars, is concerned that the person he is working with and payed by the Blazers is saying things to management. My question is what are you paranoid about and what are you afraid will be said? Does he not understand a franchise and fan base is hoping and counting on him being able to play and help the team. That he has played minimal games. OF course the organization wants to know what is going on. If GO is so concerned about information going back and forth (not sure why) then hire your ownh damn personal trainer . . . he is certainly get paid enough.

Blazers have coddled GO for years and all it has done is feed more of this entitlement personality.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Just bought that dude's book for my Nook. Anybody who can make a video that awesome deserves my cash. Reviews of the book are hilarious, anyhow.

That was probably the #1 reason for doing this interview with Greg. Free publicity to sell his book.

 

[RoyToy]

Pretty stupid how Greg said Portland isn't a great city for a black athlete to live in, and then say all he wants is privacy and not to be bothered.

Yeah, Greg, sure it would have worked out real well in NY.

 

[Natebishop3]

I defended Greg for a long time. Not because I thought he could still be something great, but because I thought the city had unrealistic expectations for him (after the second or third surgery) and that the lashing out was unfair. I just find this article to be extremely disappointing and it shows that Greg has very little class. The team and (most) of the city stuck by him until the bitter end. I think the franchise would have kept him longer if they had seen something, anything, to cling to. It is obvious now that Greg was not only plagued by injuries, but was also plagued by a poor attitude. To take shots at the city on the way out is just extremely classless. I have lost all respect I had for the guy.

If anything, I think a city like Portland is better for a young rich person (who cares what color they are). There are very few distractions here. It would be ten times worse in a city like NY, LA, or Miami. If my son was just joining the NBA at 19 or 20 years old, I would be extremely thankful that he was going to a quiet place like Portland. The housing isn't as expensive as an LA or NY, and there isn't a place like Vegas or Atlantic city within driving distance (LA/NY) or a crazy nightlife (Miami/NOR).

Greg said he saw Carr talking to Blazers front office personnel on several occasions. This seemed like a conflict of interest, Greg said, and he couldn't shake the suspicion that Carr was sharing details from their sessions with the team. In response, Greg stopped meeting with Carr and his distrust of the Blazers deepened.

I don't know why people are so quick to jump on the Blazers for this. It sounds more like a suspicious wife or husband, accusing their significant other of cheating on them because they saw them talking to a member of the opposite sex. So what if he was seen talking to a member of the Blazers front office? He works for them. He had no proof that he was divulging confidential information to the team. If anything, they probably wanted the guy on their payroll so they could ensure that the news about Greg seeing a shrink wasn't getting out. They were always in damage control with news about Greg. It would be a lot easier to brush it off if the guy was an employee of the team and not a random therapist.

 

[HailBlazers]

Regardless, The Blazers fucked it up from the start. Should have never given him that first MF surgery so soon.