They say the holidays bring out the kid in everyone, and for a self-proclaimed kid at heart, it’s not a big stretch.

We haven’t seen a lot of that side of Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden this season, as the goofy, whimsical newcomer of a year ago has become a bit more glum in his second year here — at least when he’s around the game. In fact, Oregonian beat writer Jason Quick set off a mini-brouhaha in the Rose City recently when he said on a radio show that Oden wasn’t much fun to be around.

But put a Santa hat on his head and stick him in a theater full of kids to watch a movie and give out gifts, and the other Oden comes back out. That’s where he was Saturday afternoon, hosting a private holiday party for over 200 youths and their mentors from throughout Oregon at McMenamins Bagdad Theater.

It offered a striking difference from the Oden that we’ve seen in the locker room (or not seen, given the speed records he’s set in getting away after games). Instead of uncomfortably answering questions about his play on the court, there was Oden chatting amiably with youngsters about basketball and video games.

The event was part of his association with Oregon Mentors, an organization dedicated to raising awareness for the need for male mentors throughout Oregon. They’re an umbrella group working with more than 100 organizations statewide, running the gamut from Big Brothers and Big Sisters to college prep to assisting the children of incarcerated parents.

While mentors of both sexes are always in demand, the need for male mentors in Oregon and throughout the nation is particularly acute — wait lists for youths to enroll in these programs can be as long as two years. (Oregon residents interested in becoming mentors can click here for more information.)

“Mentoring is something I wanted to get into, and the people, the organization — it’s been a good thing,” Oden said. “So I got involved and everything has been great so far.”

It’s a cause that’s important to Oden because mentors have been such a huge factor in his own life — in particular a man named Jimmy Smith, the director of the Boys and Girls Club in Terre Haute, Ind., when Oden was growing up.

“I was at the Boys and Girls Club every day starting in fourth grade,” said Oden, who also was best friends with Smith’s son Travis before his tragic death in a car accident in January 2007. “I didn’t have anything else to do. My dad was far away from me in Buffalo, so [Jimmy Smith] was always there, anything I needed, and he still is. I still talk to him every week.”

Oden’s cousin, Chris Cothran, who lives with him in Portland, also participates by mentoring a local boy. That type of involvement isn’t as plausible for Oden given the demands and travel of the NBA schedule, but he said he often makes it a trio by joining them.

“They come to the games, and I hang around when Chris takes him out,” Oden said. “But I can’t buy them anything because [it's against] the rules.”

As part of his commitment to the program, Oden donates 30 tickets for youths and mentors from throughout the state for every other home game. Additionally, Oden and Smith have created a public service announcement for the group that will air later this season.

It’s guaranteed to be only the second-most famous piece of video work he’s produced on this group’s behalf. His last benefit event for Oregon Mentors was called Summer Slam, and it produced one of the signature Oden moments — this now world-famous YouTube clip of his singing karaoke to an *NSYNC song.

Oden told me his karaoke days are done, but he still loves to talk to the kids — in fact, he seemed much more comfortable with them than with the adults in the room.

“He gets involved,” said Christina Mullin of Oregon Mentors. “At Summer Slam he was on the karaoke machine, playing pingpong with the kids, playing video games with them. He loves to enjoy the kids.”

Perhaps that’s because he has a playful side that is tough to indulge in the grown-up world he now inhabits. While he looks much older than his years, this was a good event to remind ourselves just how young he is — the Bagdad Theater also operates as a brewpub, and if he had returned about two hours later, the 20-year-old wouldn’t have been allowed to order anything with major hops.

Which helps explain why he was happily chatting with a lot of the teenaged and preteen kids; they were practically his peers. They watched “Home Alone 2,” which Oden described as his favorite Christmas movie. “It’s just funny,” he said. “I just love when they’re getting beat up.”

Afterward, he went to a Christmas tree and handed out gift bags to all the youths, autographed items from the bags — the Spalding basketball and the 2K Sports “College Hoops 2K6″ video game with Oden on the cover were the most popular choices — and smiled for photo after photo while chatting with the youngsters.

Oden recognized one youth from his Summer Slam event and brightened up — “Hey, aren’t you the kid I dunked on?” — and immediately stopped to chat with him for nearly 15 minutes. This wasn’t a show, either; the cameras had been off for a long time. And when the cameras are off, apparently, Oden’s inner kid still comes out.

Zach Randolph doesn’t harbor any bad feelings toward his former team. He just doesn’t want to lose to the Trail Blazers.

Randolph scored a season-high 38 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 120-112 double-overtime victory over the Blazers on Friday night.

Randolph, who was booed at times by the Portland crowd, also had 11 rebounds.

While the Rose Garden fans’ reaction suggested that many associate Randolph with the so-called “Jail Blazers” era, Randolph clearly has a soft spot for Portland.

“I miss the rain,” he said. “I miss everything. I came here at 19 and I still have a house here.”

But the brief trip down memory lane was also a motivational factor.

“I played here, so it definitely is motivating to try and get the win,” he said. “Plus, we needed the win anyway.”

The Clippers (5-17), with the second-worst record in the Western Conference, sure did. Baron Davis contributed 27 points and made a 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime.

Brandon Roy scored a career-high 38 points, but the Blazers (15-10) dropped their third straight game. Rookie Greg Oden had 15 points and 15 rebounds.

After Roy’s jumper tied it at 108 in the second overtime, the Clippers made four unanswered baskets to go up 116-108 and cruise to the victory.

Randolph was drafted by the Blazers in 2001 and played six seasons in Portland before he was traded to New York. He was acquired by the Clippers in a Nov. 21 trade with the Knicks, a deal that also brought guard Mardy Collins west.

The Clippers sent forward Tim Thomas and guard Cuttino Mobley to New York. Mobley on Thursday announced his retirement from the NBA because of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart disease. Tests done after the trade indicated the condition had worsened.

After sending the game into overtime with his 3-pointer, Davis opened the extra period with another one. Roy’s second consecutive fadeaway jumper tied it at 106 with 15 seconds left in the first overtime, and Davis missed on a long jumper at the buzzer for a second OT.

The Clippers went on an 8-0 run to open the second quarter and went up 50-44 lead on Davis’ layup before taking a 57-54 lead into the break.

The Blazers went back ahead at 70-69 on Oden’s dunk. But the Clippers kept it close and the teams traded the lead back and forth through most of the second half.

Randolph was blocked and then fouled by Oden with 3:13 left, and Randolph postured by bumping the 7-rookie with his shoulder.

On the other end, Randolph was called for fouling Oden, despite his repeated appeals to the referees that Oden had traveled.

Oden’s second free throw tied it at 92 with 2:50 left.

“Oden is tough,” Randolph said. “He’s solid.”

Roy hit a pair of free throws to give the Blazers the lead, and both teams went scoreless until his jumper with 28 seconds left.

Roy’s short jumper bounced around the rim before falling to make it 96-92. But Al Thornton narrowed it for the Clippers with a long jumper.

Steve Blake went on to miss four of five free throw attempts for the Blazers before Davis’ 3-pointer. Blake went into the game having made 31 of 33 free throws over the Blazers’ first 24 games.

“Yeah, I’m taking it personally, of course,” Blake said. “The game was on my shoulders and I let them down.”

The Blazers were without reserve forward Travis Outlaw, who bruised his tailbone when he took a hard fall in a loss to the Utah Jazz the night before.

Greg Oden is not shy about who he supports in the presidential race.  Check out the latest photo of our guy in his Obama gear!

We cannot wait! Greg Oden in uniform, ready to play during the 08-09 season. Look out NBA!

Here at www.gregodenclub.com, we had added a few new polls for you the readers to vote on. Let us know what you think. Also, anything you would like to see to this website, let us know by commenting to this article. Anything you want! We want to make this site fan friendly for you, the avid Greg Oden fans!

Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden should be ready for the start of the preseason, according to the Portland Tribune.

The No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA draft, Oden missed all of this past season after undergoing microfracture knee surgery in September.

“I totally expect Greg to be able to play in the preseason,” Blazers trainer Jay Jensen told the Tribune in a story published Thursday. “The knee looks fabulous and his body is unbelievably powerful. His lower extremities are ridiculously powerful.”

The Blazers are not expected to rush the 7-footer back onto the court full-time and will “gradually build him up” during the preseason, according to the report.

“He’ll play maybe every other day, and every other game,” Jensen told the newspaper.

Oden averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks during his one year at Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes reach the National Championship game before losing to Florida.

Oden (knee) should be ready to play by the start of the preseason according to Blazers trainer Jay Jensen, the Portland Tribune reports.

Just six months ago, our boy Greg Oden was having microfracture surgery on his knee. Now the big man is out playing pickup games at a local fitness center. The Blazers coach Nate McMillan was not impressed. McMillan says ” Young players don’t know their value. In a couple of years he will understand how stupid that was.”\

Oh boy. Come on Greg. You don’t need to be balling with any scrubs off the street!

http://ballhype.com/video/greg_oden_shopping/

Check out Greg Oden shopping! Kind of hilarious!

And who is that sideline reporter for the Blazers at the end of the video!!?