Greg Oden. AP file photo
LOS ANGELES – Former number one NBA draft pick Greg Oden has undergone arthroscopic surgery to remove debris from his right knee, the Portland Trail Blazers said Friday, with no timetable for his return.
The news was a blow for Oden’s hopes of returning to NBA action, although the Blazers said on their website that the procedure, performed in Vail, Colorado, was successful.
The seven-foot center, the top overall selection in the 2007 draft, has endured a string of injuries during his pro career.
He missed the 2007-2008 season after having microfracture surgery on his right knee.
He missed 20 games in the 2008-2009 season, six with a right foot injury and 14 with a bone chip in his left knee.
Just six weeks into the 2009-2010 campaign Oden broke his left knee cap in a fall during a game and required surgery, and he had microfracture surgery on his left knee in November of 2010.