Former NBA center Greg Oden said he participated in a second, private workout for the Portland Trail Blazers before they selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Oden explained that he visited the Seattle SuperSonics but did not work out for them, leaving Portland as the only team to evaluate him through workouts.
His first session with the Trail Blazers did not go well because he experienced breathing problems and became tired quickly. The team subsequently arranged another workout at owner Paul Allen’s house.
“I didn’t work out for Seattle. I visited, but I didn’t work out. So basically, putting all the power in Portland’s hands. And also, I actually had a secret second workout. I don’t know what was happening during that training, but I couldn’t breathe. I end up getting my tonsils out during Summer League.
“I end up leaving early for some reason. But that first workout, I got tired, quick. You know them workouts built to wear you the fuck out. So they had a secret second workout at Paul Allen’s house, and I actually did good that time.”
Oden said he performed better during the second session. He also recalled some unusual features of Allen’s property, including a submarine near the swimming pool.
“We had a couple practices there. You look over at that damn pool. You see the submarine. It was amazing.”
Portland eventually selected Oden with the No. 1 pick, while Seattle chose Kevin Durant second overall.
Oden played 105 regular-season games for the Trail Blazers as injuries limited his NBA career. He later appeared in 23 games for the Miami Heat during the 2013-14 season.
Durant went on to win the NBA MVP award in 2014 and two NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors.
