The Portland Trail Blazers had one of their former top picks as a special guest in attendance prior to their game on Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks: Greg Oden, their former No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

A slight elephant in the room was that the Oregon Ducks football team faces Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. Oden recalled when the Blazers signed former Ohio State forward Evan Turner in the summer of 2016, about 18 months after the Buckeyes defeated Oregon in the 2015 national championship game.

Greg Oden, the Blazers overall Number 1 pick in the 2007 draft, is back in Portland for the first time in about a decade sitting courtside for Portland's Saturday night game against the Dallas Mavericks.

No. 1 overall pick reportedly will be back in Portland for the first time in over a decade to speak to Blazers players and staffers.

Former Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden is expected to attend a team practice on Dec. 27 and the Dec. 28 game against the Dallas Mavericks, according to a report from Chris Haynes. An NBA source confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive that Oden will attend a Blazers’ practice.

During the game, Oden also hopped on the Blazers television broadcast with commentators Kevin Calabro and Lamar Hurd for a 10-minute interview at the start of the second quarter.