Miami Heat reserve center Greg Oden, the number 1 pick in the 2007 Draft, admits that he considered retiring after the numerous knee surgeries he went through but is now happy to be seeing minutes with his new team.
"It was a long four years," Oden told Yahoo! Sports. "But now I'm back, I'm healthy and I'm just happy to be doing it."
Oden played perhaps his best game yet since debuting with the Heat on January 15, scoring five points, grabbing five rebounds in 10 minutes against the LA Lakers on Thursday night. His rebounds and minutes played were the most he's had since returning from an injury he sustained in December 2009.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra admits he is now confident in Oden's game, although he is still concerned about the center's conditioning. Thus the team uses him intermittently-playing him one game, then sitting him out in the next one to two games.
Still, Oden does not have a problem with the Heat's agenda.
"With what I've been through I have nothing but patience now," Oden said. "It's been a tough long road. After four years, what's a couple of games?"
He admitted that he still has a long way to go to contribute to the Heat. "I'm still not as quick as I want to be out there. There are still things I can get better at."
Oden is being paid a measly $884,293, but he says he is grateful to the Heat for giving him another opportunity to play. "I've said a thousand times that I'm grateful that the Miami Heat gave me this shot," Oden said. "I'm just happy to be playing again."
The Heat brought in Oden as a potential defender against the Indiana Pacers, who are anchored by 7 foot 2 center Roy Hibbert. The Pacers center thrived last year in the playoffs battling smaller teams like the Heat, who were fortunate enough to escape with a Game 7 victory at home in the East Finals.
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