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  • Back in town: Greg Oden chats with Tami Smith at the barbecue at Jim And Cindy Martin's home Thursday evening. Oden is in Terre Haute to take part in the Travis Smith memorial golf tournament. Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis

    SPT080912oden.jpg

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August 10, 2012

HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Oden's fight through adversity includes stop in Terre Haute

David Hughes The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Multiple knee surgeries have prevented Greg Oden from playing center in an NBA regular-season game since Dec. 5, 2009.

But they haven’t kept the former Terre Haute resident from returning to help the Terre Haute Boys & Girls Club raise money for its various programs each of the past six years.

Back Thursday evening to attend the annual outdoor dinner to promote the “Travis Smith Memorial Golf Classic Hosted By Greg Oden,” a private event which will take place today at the Country Club of Terre Haute, Oden told me that he hopes to resume his NBA career someday.

The big question is when.

An unrestricted free agent, the 7-foot Oden disputed Internet reports that he wants to play for the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat and that he intends to play next season.

These rumors were fueled by a si.com report that quoted his agent, Mike Conley Sr., saying Oden “has talked about Miami.” Oden’s denial doesn’t mean he is ruling out a return in 2012-13, but he stressed that it’s unlikely.

“I would love to play [in 2012-13], but I’m not going to rush anything,” he said Thursday. “I need to take a year off. What I told Mike was ‘Look, I want to get back with a team. I want to play. If there’s a chance that later on in the [NBA] year, if I feel good or if I’m healthy enough to play, I would love to play this year.’ That’s the conversation we had. I think some people kinda blew that up and took his words and kinda changed them around. I know I need to get healthy first before I do anything.”

I admit, my preference would be for Oden to sign with the Indiana Pacers. But that’s just so I could see him play in person more often.

In reality, he doesn’t care which NBA team he joins.

“It’s not like teams are out there telling people they want me, because they’re not right now,” Oden explained. “And I’m not out there telling people I want to go to a certain team. I want to go to a place where I can get healthy and with somebody who can believe in me and my skills — somewhere it could be a good fit for the both of us.”

Getting healthy, that is the key.

A few months ago in New York, Oden underwent stem-cell procedures on both knees with the hope of speeding up that process.

Still, Oden realizes the possibility exists that he may never continue his NBA career, which so far has consisted of only 82 games (61 in 2008-09 and 21 in 2009-10).

“If it happens, it happens,” he said. “I’ve got to move on with my life. I know I want to play basketball. If I physically can’t play basketball, then I’ve got to move on … I’ve still got to wake up tomorrow. I’ve still got to live. One day, I’m going to want a family and I’ve got to provide for them. So if basketball doesn’t work out, you gotta keep it moving.”

Living in Columbus, Ohio, and working toward a degree in sports and leisure at Ohio State University, Oden completed a summer course in economics this week.

Asked what he’d like his next job to be after he retires from pro basketball — whenever that may be — Oden smiled before giving his answer.

“I actually want to be a [high school or middle school] gym teacher,” he said. “I feel like they have the best job ever. You think about it, they get their weekends off and they get to wear sweats every day to work.”

On a more serious note, Oden admitted that details in a story written for grantland.com by former Ohio State teammate Mark Titus — who plans to play in the Smith Memorial Classic today — were all true.

Among the quotes in that story attributed to Oden: “When I played well, I’d drink to celebrate. And when I played poorly, I’d drink to forget. That second year in Portland [with the Trail Blazers], I pretty much became an alcoholic.”

On Thursday, Oden insisted that he never experienced a moment of truth which led him to reduce his alcohol consumption.

“I knew I abused it more than I should have,” he told me. “It happened. I’m not going to sit here and try to hide it. People around me knew it happened.”

That part of Oden’s life did not last long, however.

“The people around me, they kinda recognized it,” recalled the 2007 NBA No. 1 overall draft pick and former Lawrence North High School and Ohio State standout. “At that young age, I was still in party mode.”

Now 24, Oden still enjoys going out with friends on occasion, but he prefers to keep his partying in moderation.

“Right now, I’m grown up and I know what I want to do,” he continued, referring to his emotional state of mind more than his height. “I want to play basketball. If you play basketball, you can’t drink all the time. You really can’t. It affects your body and it’s just not a good look.”

Looking ahead to today, Oden anticipates playing nine holes of golf in honor of his longtime friend Travis Smith, a former Terre Haute South High School athlete and Ball State golfer who died in an auto accident in Muncie in January 2007.

The golf fundraiser is organized by Smith’s father — Terre Haute Boys & Girls Club executive director Jimmy Smith.

“Every year. Jimmy doesn’t even have to ask me to come here,” Oden emphasized. “Like, literally, this is something that I want to do, that I love doing. There’s great people here. This golf outing is always fun. I really enjoy it. As long as my name is relevant, I will definitely be here.”

Jimmy Smith said 59 teams entered this year’s event and there are 44 hole sponsors. He also mentioned that the Boys & Girls Club staff hopes to open its new site at the former Chauncey Rose Middle School on Sept. 4 while still using the North Third Street building for its basketball leagues.



David Hughes can be reached after 4 p.m. by phone at 1-800-783-8742, Option 4, or at (812) 231-4224; by e-mail at david.hughes@tribstar.com; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.

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Sports
SPT0512113WVSB mcclain.jpg

Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Small ball: Ciara McClain bunts to advance a teammate early in the Viking�s sectional matchup with Brown County.

  • West Vigo comes up short against 19-9 Brown County softball

    West Vigo got off to a good start but Brown County finished better in Class 3A high school softball sectional semifinal action Tuesday night at Edgewood.
    The Eagles bested the Vikings 7-5 and will meet South Vermillion, a 12-7 winner over Owen Valley, for the sectional championship on Thursday starting at 6 p.m.
     

    May 22, 2013 5 Photos

  • Valley baseball teams have been keeping busy heading into sectionals

    When high school baseball sectionals begin around the Wabash Valley today, one complaint that’s not expected to be heard from any coach is that his team has had too much time off.

    May 22, 2013

  • Northview powers way past Terre Haute South in sectional semifinal

    Northview unleashed power rarely seen in high school girls softball Tuesday night to eliminate Terre Haute South 8-1 in the Class 4A Sectional at Martinsville High School.
    The Knights hit three home runs in an eight-run third inning to reach the championship game.

    May 22, 2013

  • TRACKSIDE: Local drivers, owners looking to have strong night at Tony Hulman Classic

    In its rich 43-year history, the Tony Hulman Sprint Car Classic has long carried on a strong local racing tradition.
    From its early beginnings starting in 1971, the U.S. Auto Club-sanctioned event has been the annual centerpiece of the racing calendar at the Terre Haute Action Track as well as a key stop on the USAC sprint schedule and one of the most sought after wins in big league sprint-car racing.

    May 22, 2013

  • Terre Haute North dominates field at regional

    Keirra Porter took first place in two individual events and helped Terre Haute North win one of its relays as the Patriots captured the Evansville Central Regional team championship in girls high school track and field Tuesday night.

    May 22, 2013

  • Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain

    Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea has battled through so many aches and pains during the 2013 season that it can be hard to discern the serious pain from the pain he pitches through.

    May 22, 2013

  • PREP ROUNDUP: South tennis cruises into regional final

    Terre Haute South didn’t lose a game en route to blanking Seeger 5-0 in girls high school tennis Tuesday to advance to today’s championship match against Crawfordsville in the Greencastle Regional.

    May 22, 2013

  • SPT 051913 TIM TERRY.jpg Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play

    South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
    But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees.

    May 22, 2013 4 Photos

  • ISU's Negele answers call in big way in wake of Manaea injury

    When Indiana State starting pitcher Sean Manaea slumped on the mound in obvious pain after he took his warm-up pitches, red flags raised for ISU’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament hopes.

    May 21, 2013

  • West Vigo softball holds off nemesis Edgewood in softball sectional

    Ice cream was enough of a reward Monday night after the West Vigo Vikings beat eight-time defending champion Edgewood 6-2 in extra innings in the opening game of the Class 3A softball sectional at Edgewood High School. But that’s not what Vikings want.

    May 21, 2013

Local Interest
SPT 051913 TIM TERRY.jpg

Coach: Tim Terry is the South Vermillion baseball coach and plays in the senior league on Sunday afternoons.

  • Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play

    South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
    But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees.

    May 22, 2013 4 Photos

  • softballsecs.jpg Softball sectionals up for grabs

    All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • Indiana State baseball series canceled

    Heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday has forced Indiana State and Tennessee Martin to cancel their three-game weekend baseball series in northwest Tennessee.

    April 27, 2013

  • METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman baseball to play DePauw on Thursday after Tuesday's rain

    The Rose-Hulman baseball team has rescheduled its non-conference game with DePauw to Thursday night.
    The start time remains 7 p.m. for the single nine-inning game that was originally scheduled for today. Tuesday’s scheduled Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Anderson was moved to Sunday because of rain.

    April 24, 2013

  • photo.JPG Vigo County Youth Soccer Association to host Indiana Soccer Cup Games

    The Vigo County Youth Soccer Association will welcome more than 7,000 people to its Springhill Drive facility through two tournaments in the next five weeks.

    April 18, 2013 1 Photo

High School
College
  • Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain

    Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea has battled through so many aches and pains during the 2013 season that it can be hard to discern the serious pain from the pain he pitches through.

    May 22, 2013

  • ISU's Negele answers call in big way in wake of Manaea injury

    When Indiana State starting pitcher Sean Manaea slumped on the mound in obvious pain after he took his warm-up pitches, red flags raised for ISU’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament hopes.

    May 21, 2013

  • SPT0511613manaea3.jpg ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction

    Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
    But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

  • ISU track sending record 22 to postseason

    On the heels of their thrilling double victory at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships both the Indiana State men and women moved up in the national rankings which were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

    May 20, 2013

  • SPT 043013 ACE HUNT TROPHY.jpg ISU's athletic treasure trove

    Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.

    May 19, 2013 9 Photos 2 Links

Sports Columns
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Terre Haute Rex
SPT 071512 DORSETT FILE.jpg

Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)

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