Portland Trail Blazers: Eyes on Rudy Fernandez
A recent article written in The Boston Herald has claimed the Celtics are currently investigating various trades including Portland Trail Blazers Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez has done well for the Trail Blazers, averaging 8.1 minutes and 1.0 assists in 23.2 minutes for the team over the last year. He is a 6”6 shooter and estimates have him making $1,246,680 next season, with a team option of $2,180,443 for 2011-12.
Like Greg Oden, Fernandez was selected on June 28, 2007 but this was by the Phoenix Suns. Sometime thereafter that team traded Fernandez’s draft rights to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash. At the same time, Oden was selected as the no. 1 overall pick, whereas Fernandez was 24th overall in the NBA Draft.
Greg Oden & Teammates Look Forward to Upcoming Year
The Trail Blazers are looking forward to the upcoming season, and looking back to a season of success. Brandon Roy, always one to emphasize the big picture, even said that getting bumped from the first round of the playoffs in six games by the Houston Rockets was, “a great experience for us.”
The Blazers began the season as the second-youngest team in the NBA. Certainly, all players, including Greg Oden, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and more, are looking forward to shining in the upcoming year.
Greg Oden Giving Back This Summer
As part of his summer plans, Greg Oden will welcome girls and boys from the ages of 7 to 18 to the 2010 Garth Brooks Foundation Oden, Conley, and Cook Buckeye Stars Basketball Camp.
Taking place from July 28-30, 2010 at Worthington Kilbourne High School in Worthington, Ohio, the camp offers campers a camp t-shirt, autographed camp team photos, 9 hours of expert instruction, an opportunity to win contests and prizes, and educational experiences that can’t be beat!
Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook work with campers to hone their basketball skills and their fundamental skills. Each camper can expect daily games, camp competitions and more.
Greg Oden’s Summer Slam
Come celebrate with Portland Trail Blazers Greg Oden (of Team ODEN) this summer at Greg’s Summer Slam. Mark your calendars today for September 6 from 11am to 3pm at the Rose Garden. There, you will be able to engage in interactive games, hang out with Blaze, the Bowflex Stunt Team and the BlazersDancers. You never know, if you’re lucky you may even get to hang with Greg Oden too! So don’t miss this opportunity to have fun, enjoy a summer blast and hang with pro Greg Oden.
Greg Oden’s New Outlook
Greg Oden is doing everything he can to ensure he is super prepared to return to the basketball court. He is looking forward to playing again for his team. As well, after some encouragement from his agent, Oden met an LA nutritionist in an attempt to improve his diet. He has also been working on his mental outlook to help deal with all that he has been through. And it seems to be working! The Portland Trail Blazer Center player commented, “I’m being open-minded to a lot more things.” That is definitely a good attitude for a professional basketball player excited to resume his court performances.
Rudy Fernandez and the Portland Trail Blazers
Currently on the team of the Portland Trail Blazers, is player no. 5, Rudy Fernandez. He began his professional career with the NBA the same time as Greg Oden did, on June 28 2007. He didn’t rank as high as Oden, but was taken 24th overall by the Phoenix Suns who thereafter traded his draft rights to the Portland Trail Blazers. He officially joined the Glazers in September of 2008. Fernandez is originally Spanish but wasn’t the only Spaniard in the 2008-09 season in the NBA (others included Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Jose Calderon and Sergio Rodriguez). In 2009, he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and broke NBA rookie records for the amount of three-point field goals made, at 159!. He “hit a three-point field goal in 33 consecutive games.”
40 Year Anniversary of the Portland Trail Blazers
As the Portland Trail Blazers mark their 40th anniversary, let’s take a look back at some of their finer moments from the 2009-10 season. The basketball team in which Oden fans witnessed an increase of 2.4 minutes per game that he played also saw the team beat Oklahoma City a staggering 103-95 at the Rose Garden. It was Marcus Camby who brought the team to this level, adding 30 points – a season high – to the game, which really got the home crowd going. This was just one of the great moments for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2009-10 season.
Team ODEN Oregon Mentors
As well as being an NBA basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers, Greg Oden is a mentor for kids throughout the Oregon region. This is a great way for kids to have adults they can relate to that they also think are cool. Check out what they do at: http://oregonmentors.org/teamoden/about/
Greg Oden Still Popular
There is no escaping the fact that Greg Oden is a great basketball player. He has done the NBA Portland Trail Blazers proud. Oden may have encountered some hiccups here and there but for the most part, the man is up there with the top players. So, like a recent article in the Blazers Blog stated, for those who may not realize how cool he is, they just have to accept the fact that “Oden is staying because he’s the one shot, as good as Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge are.” It’s all too easy these days to focus on the negative.
Oden Plays Well
So everyone should just face it. They should accept what Greg Oden fans have known for a long time. Oden plays a great game of basketball. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and Greg Oden is just like everyone else. But he differs from many players in that he really has a lot to offer as when he’s out there, he’s playing super well, surpassing lots of other players. So keen basketball players need to remember that.
Greg Oden and Topps Trading Card Company
Shortly after Greg Oden entered the NBA draft back in 2007, he signed a three year deal (worth at least $3 million if not more) with Topps Trading Card Company. Topps is most well known for its production of basketball cards (which obviously Greg Oden was involved in), hockey cards, football cards, baseball cards and any other sports-based cards used for trading, often among kids. The company is based in New York.
Greg Oden and Bill Russell
Anyway, the deal that Greg Oden signed with the Topps Trading Card Company back in 2007, featured the man with Bill Russell in his first deal. Russell used to play US professional basketball, in the same position as Oden – as center. While like Greg Oden, he played on a very professional level, also for the NBA, he didn’t play for the Portland Trail Blazers, but the Boston Celtics. But Russell sure did the team proud in his time, winning the NBA MVP award five times and the All-Star, twelve times! So he was certainly someone Greg Oden could have been proud starring with on those trading cards.
