Report: Greg Oden injures hand in China, out 3 weeks

Former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden has suffered a hand injury, ESPN's Marc Stein reported Sunday.

Oden injured his hand while playing in an exhibition game in China over the weekend. He signed a one-year, $1.2-million contract with the Jiangsu Dragons in August.

He is expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks.

The injury is yet another disappointing setback in Oden's long journey back to NBA. The 27-year-old got looks from a few teams stateside before heading overseas.

The Memphis Grizzlies considered Oden's services in May, while the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets also showed interest in the 7-foot center in June.

After a promising performance in his Chinese Basketball Association debut earlier this month - 23 points and 14 rebounds - Oden was hoping to continue his strong play in hopes of a successful comeback campaign.

Long known as the player selected ahead of Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft, Oden will have to string together a series of convincing - not to mention healthy - on-court outings before getting another crack at a NBA roster.