NEW YORK -- The Trail Blazers' top pick, Greg Oden, danced onto the stage in Portland's living room after riding a MAX train to a rally in his honor.

KGW Photo

A mass of cheering fans welcomed Greg Oden into Portland's Pioneer Square Friday.

The crowd chanted "Oden, Oden, Oden" as the 19-year-old confessed his love of Portland, rain downpour and all.

 SLIDESHOW: Fans welcome Oden

 VIDEO: Oden's grand entrance

"It's all good, they just told me - 'get used to it, suck it up,'" Oden said, a childish grin stretching across his face.

After words of welcome from the team and Mayor Tom Potter, Oden once again took the podium and, with an "awe shucks" demeanor sure to help him find his way into the hearts of Portlanders, he introduced his immediate family to his new family of fans.

“Just to be here in this city with my family, I’m loving it here and I’m going to have a smile on my face for a long time to come,” the 7' giant said after leaning down to hug his mom.

Greg's brother, Anthony; his dad, Greg Oden, Sr., and his girlfriend, Candace also joined him on the trip from New York to Rip City.

Coach Nate McMillan said his goal when he took over the team two years ago was to bring Blazer pride back to Portland. He said he didn't know then how long it would take but that it began with last year's draft.

Also: Print out a poster to show support

Blazers picked Oden over Durant

The Blazers took the 7-foot-center out of Ohio State ending weeks of speculation about whether they'd choose Oden or versatile forward Kevin Durant out of Texas.

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Oden, who will wear the number '52' -- a comination of his high school and college numbers. He was sounding a bit run down from a head cold in New York, but still glowed with enthusiasm about the pick.

"It means a lot to be the number one pick and to go to Portland with such a great family there and a great city, for them to pick me I feel so honored," he told KGW's Joe Donlon.

At the Rose Garden, where the Blazers threw a draft party, Oden was the clear favorite hours before the choice was made Thursday. One fan held a sign that said: "There is a greGODen."

"I expect a championship too. My goal is to win the NBA championship my first year, no guaranteesthat'll happen, but I'm going to work every day for it," Oden said.

As expected, Durant was quickly taken second by the Seattle SuperSonics, who found a replacement if they lose Rashard Lewis to free agency. The 6-9 forward, wearing an orange tie to match Texas' colors, averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, ranking fourth nationally in both categories, and is considered the most talented player in the draft.

And the Blazers made some additional moves as well, trading forward Zach Randolph, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau to the Knicks for Channing Frye and Steve Francis.

 More deals: Blazers trade Randolph & more

Seattle Sonics choose Durant

Portland beat the odds with the selection. They had just a 5.3 percent chance of securing the top pick when the draft lottery was held back on May 22.

Since then there's been a flurry of activity within the franchise and a heightening anticipation among fans. Could Oden spell the return of Rip City, a term coined when the Blazers won the NBA championship in 1977?

Portland had the No. 1 pick for the first time since 1978, when they chose center Mychal Thompson of Minnesota. The Blazers also had the top pick in 1974, when they took Bill Walton, and in 1972, when they chose LaRue Martin.

Oden, despite being hampered by a wrist injury, averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds while leading Ohio State to the national championship game as a freshman.

The Blazers scheduled a rally in downtown Portland at noon on Friday to introduce Oden to the city.

Last year Portland made six draft-day moves, landing talented first-rounders Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and guard Sergio Rodriguez.

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How far can Blazers go this year?

The infusion of young talent has brought renewed interest in the Blazers, who had several down years on and off the court.

There was player misconduct and arrests, earning the team the nickname "Jail Blazers." Then owner Paul Allen suggested the team might be sold because it was hemorrhaging money.

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Video: One-on-one with Paul Allen

But the franchise began a transformation last year at this time largely because of the addition of Roy, who went on to be named the NBA's Rookie of the Year. Allen reacquired the Rose Garden (he had relinquished control of it in 2004 by declaring it bankrupt), improving the team's financial situation.

Then came the No. 1 pick.

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"We started with one thing, who is going to get us to the championship level," general manager Kevin Pritchard said.

Since the draft lottery was held, the Blazers have sold more than 3,500 season tickets.

Background: Ticket sales surge immediately after Blazers win lottery