The Portland Trail Blazers settled months of debate when they chose Greg Oden over Kevin Durant with the No. 1 pick in a highly anticipated NBA draft on Thursday.
Portland opted for the 2.13m center who can dominate a game with his defense over the sensational scoring of Durant, who would have been the No. 1 pick in many other years after one of the most outstanding first-year seasons in US college history.
As expected, Durant was quickly taken second by the Seattle SuperSonics, who traded All-Star guard Ray Allen, their leading scorer, to Boston. Fans booed the Allen trade at a draft party for the Sonics, who still face losing Rashard Lewis to free agency.
The 2.06m Durant, who averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds and was considered the most talented player in the draft, said he didn't consider himself the Sonics' savior.
"Not at all, not at all," Durant said. "When you play since you were eight or nine years old, you know the game is not a one-man sport. I'm far from being a savior."
Oden led Ohio State University to the national championship game despite never playing at full strength after surgery on his right wrist. Still, he averaged 15.7 points and shot nearly 62 percent while drawing comparisons to Bill Russell for his rebounding and shot blocking abilities.
The Atlanta Hawks used the No. 3 pick -- their first of two in the lottery -- on Al Horford of the University of Florida, the two-time defending US college champions.
Florida became the first school with three players selected in the top 10 of the same draft when Corey Brewer went to the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 7 and Joakim Noah -- the son of French tennis great Yannick Noah -- was taken by the Chicago Bulls two picks later.
The Memphis Grizzlies grabbed point guard Michael Conley Jr, Oden's teammate, at No. 4.
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