Greg Oden reveals shocking details about his microfracture surgery

The Portland Trail Blazers selected Ohio State big man Greg Oden with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. He was not only the top draft prospect, but Steve Kerr once called Oden a "once-in-a-decade player." Whether justified or not, Oden is perceived by many as a draft bust and another top pick for Portland whose career didn't go the way many anticipated due to injuries.

In a recent episode of "The OGs Podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller," they are joined by Oden, who is candid about his experience battling the highs and lows of his basketball journey.

Greg Oden opens up about his rookie season injury

Due to microfracture surgery, Oden had to miss his entire first year, the 2007-08 season. He opens up about the events leading up to the surgery. Oden wasn't as productive in the Summer League as expected, mainly due to "being tired after three minutes," which led to his tonsil removal. Things were supposed to be looking up after that, but it unfortunately got even more troublesome—the day after a workout, Oden's legs swelled up to the point where he could barely put on his pants.

Later, an MRI showed that Oden's knee was missing cartilage. In the podcast, Oden reveals that he underestimated the severity of the issue, saying that he thought the plan was only to clean up the damaged area and then reassess what needed to be done.

Oden expected a cleanup, not an immediate microfracture surgery

"They said, 'You have some missing cartilage in there'. I'm thinking, go clean it up, and we'll talk about it. They just need to go get a better look. They just went ahead and did the microfracture. I mean, it was talked about, but in my head, I was like, you're just going to clean it up, and we will have a real sit-down about that."

Miller then emphasizes how different the science and technology surrounding microfracture surgery were back then compared to now. "Now microfracture, they're coming back and playing," he says. "The microfracture at that time was like, oh my God, he might not ever play again."

Part of Oden's perception as a draft bust has to do with the fact that Kevin Durant was selected right after him. However, it also depends on the definition of a bust and whether or not injuries should be a factor. Oden played a bit after sitting out the entire year due to the surgery, but he was not the same dominant player he had showcased as a freshman at Ohio State.

Oden only played two seasons and 82 games total with the Blazers, averaging 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks during that span. Unfortunately, injuries derailed Oden for the remainder of his short career. He had to sit out three seasons between 2010 and 13 before having one last unproductive season with the Miami Heat in 2013-14.

We knew he had the surgery, but the fact that Oden expected a cleanup, not an immediate microfracture surgery, makes it even more gut-wrenching. Props to Oden for being so candid and opening up about these injuries.