Greg Oden's NBA career wasn't supposed to end up like this. After being selected with the first overall pick in the 2007 Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Oden played in just 105 games in seven seasons, which included a three-year span where he never stepped onto the court once. "Don't get me wrong," Oden told Outside the Lines. "If I was healthy, I would love to continue playing, but I'm not healthy."
With any hopes of a return to the NBA in the rearview mirror, the 28-year-old is back at Ohio State University where he is a sophomore enrolled as a sports industry major while serving as a student assistant coach for his former Buckeyes college basketball coach, Thad Matta. While reflecting on the abrupt end to his NBA career, Oden came to the harsh realization regarding his professional basketball legacy. "I'll be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA history," Oden said. "But I can't do nothing about that."
Regardless of his place among the biggest draft busts in NBA history, Oden's failed career was the direct result of a slew of injuries. "But I will say that when I was playing, can you say that? ... I don't think I was that bad when I was on the court," Oden said. "I felt like it could have just got better if I had more time on there." In his final season with the Trail Blazers before breaking his left kneecap, the Buffalo, New York native was averaging pretty respectable numbers with 11.1 points, 8.5 boards, and 2.3 blocks per game.
Even though it came before he expected, Oden is embarking on the next stage of his life, and you can't help but root for him.
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