Greg Oden’s rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers ended before it started when the 7-footer had knee surgery Thursday.
The top pick in the June draft went in for an exploratory procedure on his right knee and ended up having microfracture surgery, which means he will sit out the season.
“Greg looked at me as he was coming out of his surgery, and he and his mom, Zoe, probably said ‘sorry’ 20 times,” Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said.
“I could feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. And as a leader and as leaders of this organization, my first thought was how lucky we were to have a guy that cares about the organization that much.”
Oden is expected to be on crutches for up to eight weeks. Full recovery likely will take six to 12 months, the team said.
“At this point in time, we don’t see him coming back this season,” Pritchard said.
Oden averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds last season as a freshman at Ohio State.
Pritchard said Oden had MRIs on both knees before the draft and they were “pristine.”
“We picked the right kid, he cares about his organization. And I can’t (overemphasize) how bad he felt, and not because he had to go through the rehab and all that, but because he felt like he let us down, Pritchard said, “and he hasn’t let us down at all.”
Pacers: Prosecutors decided not to file marijuana possession charges against forward Shawne Williams following his arrest this week, but the team suspended him for three games for poor judgment.
The Marion (Ind.) County prosecutor’s office said police found marijuana in the vehicle Williams was driving, but felt it couldn’t prove the drugs belonged to him.
“Nobody technically had possession, and a passenger claimed it as his,” spokesman Matthew Symons of the prosecutor’s office said. “It would be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt he (Williams) had the marijuana.”
Williams was formally charged with a misdemeanor count of driving without ever having received a license.
Mavericks: Point guard Devin Harris agreed on a five-year contract extension through the 2012-13 season worth about $42 million.
Harris averaged 10.2 points and 3.7 assists – both career highs – last season.
