Following heralded college hoops careers, Kevin Durant and Greg Oden took wildly divergent paths once they arrived in the NBA. One became a future Hall of Famer, while the other nearly vanished. KD is thrilled for his buddy Greg now that he’s found a place back in the L. Per the Sun-Sentinel:

With Oden back in the league after sitting four years because of knee injuries, no one is happier than Durant.

“When he signed with the Heat, I texted him,” Durant said after Wednesday’s shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena. “I just told him congrats and I was happy for him. It’s great for him to try to get back in the league and I’m happy that he’s back.”

Oden has steadily progressed since being inserted into the rotation in mid-January. He’s averaged 3.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in five games. The contribution has been minimal but weighs heavily for a player once headed toward being known as the trivia answer to who was drafted before Durant.

“As a player, I’m excited he’s back in the league,” Durant said. “He’s overcome a lot in his career. It’s a great story that he has, five knee surgeries and he was thinking about retiring before 25. But he came back and he’s out there playing extremely well. It’s fun to see him back. As a good friend, somebody I’ve known since high school, I’m excited for him.”