Ex-Blazers center Oden: 'I pretty much became an alcoholic' - KPTV - FOX 12

Former Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden opened up about his time in the Rose City in an interview published Wednesday on Grantland.com, saying he "pretty much became an alcoholic" in his second year in Portland.

Oden, Portland's No. 1 NBA Draft choice in 2007, told the Grantland writer, who is a former teammate from before Oden's NBA days, that his cousin moved into his home in Portland and threw parties frequently. As a result, he would drink alcohol, win or lose, after games.

Oden also said Portland "isn't a great city to live in if you're a young, African-American male with a lot of money."

The former Blazer hasn't played an NBA game since Dec. 5, 2009, when he suffered a knee injury. At one point, he was considered part of a trio of rising stars on the Blazers who were expected to guide the team to an NBA championship. After major injuries to Oden and all-star Brandon Roy, all that is left of that trio is forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

Oden has since been released by the Blazers. It's not known who he will play for when, or if, he is healthy enough to return to the court

You can read Grantland's story on Oden at Grantland.com.

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