Greg Oden not interested in NBA comeback right now, dealing with 'life stuff'

Basketball fans got to see Greg Oden at an NBA game on Saturday night, with the former No. 1 pick sitting in some prime seats as the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Toronto Raptors.

Oden is from nearby Buffalo, N.Y., and is familiar with the area as an Ohio State alumni. He's also, of course, a former teammate of Cavs star LeBron James, having spent last season with the Miami Heat.

Oden's appearance at the game didn't signal an interest in returning to the NBA, though. While he said at the end of last season that he would probably come back for 2014-15, he told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal on Saturday that it's not something he's pursuing right now.

"I have to deal with other stuff first," Oden said. "Life stuff."

The life stuff Oden is referring to could be a number of different things: Oden is facing a felony domestic violence charge, and offseason reports alleged that Oden struggled with alcohol abuse last season. He's also dealt with health issues while trying to work his way back to NBA relevance, so it makes sense for the 26-year-old to take some more time away.

In 23 games last year - his first action after three missed seasons - Oden averaged 2.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 9.2 minutes. Over 105 career games with Portland and Miami, those rates are eight points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 19.3 minutes, though it's unlikely he'd ever be able to regain his rookie and sophomore form.

Oden doesn't appear concerned with that for now. Basketball may not stop, but sometimes it's necessary to hit the pause button.