Oden No. 1 pick, as expected
NEW YORK — Greg Oden beat Kevin Durant in the race to be the No. 1 pick.
Oden is already looking ahead to winning the race for rings.
The Portland Trail Blazers ended months of debate Thursday night when they chose the Ohio State center over fellow college freshman Durant with the top pick in a highly anticipated NBA draft.
"I know we're going to be connected for a long time. Kevin Durant, Greg Oden," Oden said.
"He's a really, really good player. I'm a pretty decent player. So I hope things work out. I would love to get way more championships than him."
Oden seems in better position, at least to start. While he's already looking ahead to who he is playing with, Durant was left to think about who he'll be without.
The SuperSonics traded All-Star Ray Allen, their leading scorer, to Boston on Thursday. And they still face the possibility of losing Rashard Lewis to free agency.
"Now Ray is gone and I think Rashard is a free agent," Durant said. "I'd love to get him back, he's a great player and one of my idols as well, and now he's my teammate — well, I hope he's my teammate. If he's there, it's going to be a plus."
The drafting of Durant was a boost to Seattle fans who earlier had booed the trade of Allen. Down in Portland, there was nothing but cheers.
Franchise centers are hard to find, and Portland fans think they got one.
"I was on the phone with the radio station back in Portland," Oden said. "They said they stomped the floor like they won the NBA championship once they called my name."
Fans rushed the court at the Rose Garden, where a perennial playoff team has fallen on hard times after some worse behavior. But the Blazers got Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy last year and got an early start on having next season's winner when they grabbed Oden to play alongside LaMarcus Aldridge.
"They did have a bad (reputation), but I think Brandon and LaMarcus kind of turned that around," Oden said. "I hope that I can come and just push that along some more."
Even with Durant, feelings weren't quite the same in Seattle.
Moments after he was picked, Durant saw on TV that the SuperSonics had traded Allen. Just a day earlier, he had talked of not having to be a savior since Seattle had Allen.
And he's not changing his mind now.
"Not at all, not at all," Durant said. "When you play since you were 8 or 9 years old, you know the game is not a one-man sport. I'm far from being a savior."
