Correct, the weight gain during his first rehab had
NOTHING to do with underage drinking with his "uncle".
First, it wasn't his uncle, it was an older cousin.
Second, his cousin didn't move to Portland and in with Greg until his second season in Portland (the first season, he played). That's when the partying and heavy drinking started.
Here's the relevant quotes:
Even while adjusting to the change in culture, Greg successfully rehabbed his knee and played in 61 games the following season, averaging nine points and seven rebounds in 21.5 minutes. He wasn't dominating like he had in high school and college, but he provided enough highlights to make Blazers fans feel optimistic about the team's future. It seemed to me while watching Greg on TV that he would be able to recover from his surgery and in a few years' time could be one of the premier big men in the NBA. But after longing for a veteran role model the previous season, Greg got exactly what he wanted in his second year, only the results were disastrous. That's because it wasn't an NBA veteran who took Greg under his wing in his second season—it was his veteran cousin from the Air Force who moved into Greg's house in Portland.
"If you know anything about guys in the Air Force," Greg explained, "it's that they drink a ton. My cousin got wrapped up in the NBA lifestyle and threw parties at my house all the time. So I got wrapped up in it too. When I played well, I'd drink to celebrate. And when I played poorly, I'd drink to forget. That second year in Portland I pretty much became an alcoholic."
The alcohol likely contributed to later problems, but that 45 pound weight gain during his first rehab was due to mismanagement of the strength and conditioning staff - not heavy drinking with his "uncle".
BNM