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Report: Greg Oden Going Under the Knife

July 10, 2007 11:27 AM

His summer league is likely over as his tonsils need to come out. And the team is making serious noises about limiting the media and PR distractions that seem to be wearing him down. But, as Jason Quick reports in the Oregonian, despite all that, it appears Oden will still be part of the ESPYS in Los Angeles tomorrow:

A final decision hasn't been made on the surgery -- Oden said he wants to talk it over with his mother first -- but it appears likely that he will fly to Portland for a tonsillectomy late in the week, immediately after he takes part in a taping of the ESPYs award show in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The team and Oden's camp expect recovery to take about two weeks.

If Oden has the surgery, it will end a trying and lesson-filled summer league. He struggled in his debut, scoring six points to go along with two rebounds before being disqualified for committing 10 fouls -- the maximum allowed in summer league. In his second game, Oden was better, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds and four blocks, while amassing nine fouls.

All the while, Oden was playing with tonsils that Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said were the size of golf balls. Because of that, Oden's breathing was hampered, limiting his stamina.

"Right now, it's more of a thing that they are so big, that when I'm running up and down the court, it's hard for me to breathe," Oden said Monday after two impressive performances in scrimmages against Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers. "I can't get any air in there."

The Blazers did scrimmage yesterday, and as Quick reports Oden played his best basketball of the summer so far.

Portland Trail Blazers, Greg Oden

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