In 2006, Greg Oden was slated to be the next great center.
He was a big, strong college player who had the potential to be elite and was compared to greats such as Patrick Ewing and David Robinson.
The media hyped him up and everyone ate it up.
And thus, when draft night came around on June 28, 2007, he was drafted first overall by the Portland Trailblazers, beating out Kevin Durant, Al Horford, and Mike Conley.
But unfortunately, his fans had to wait to see him showcase his skills.
He suffered a knee injury, had to get surgery, and couldn’t play until the following NBA season.
After sitting out his entire rookie season, healing and upping his conditioning and skills, Oden was ready to make his debut.
Greg Oden’s Rookie Season
On October 28, 2008, Oden stepped onto the professional stage for the first time in a game against the previous season’s conference champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, Oden was only able to play 12 minutes because he injured his foot in the second quarter.
He had to sit out the following two weeks to recover.
Luckily for his team, they had Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge who held the team afloat.
On Nov. 12, Oden made his return.
The Trailblazers, being careful with him this time, had him come off of the bench and put him on a minutes restriction.
He played a little over 16 minutes and the highlight of his performance was 2 blocks.
For the next couple of weeks, the Trailblazers continued to ease Oden back into things until Nov. 24, when he returned to the starting lineup (though, his minutes were still restricted).
With their center back in his rightful spot, the Trailblazers went on a six-game winning streak.
Oden remained healthy for the majority of the season and he helped the Trailblazers become one of the scariest teams in the west.
With Oden’s productive first year (averaging 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks a game), the Trailblazers were able to get 54 wins, landing on third in the standings.
They were also going to compete in the playoffs, something that the club hasn’t done since 2003.
Oden’s First Playoff Appearance
In his first NBA postseason, Oden had to go up against one of the game’s best, the Houston Rockets’ Yao Ming.
He fared well in his first outing (albeit coming off of the bench), scoring 15 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and blocking one shot in a loss.
But in the subsequent games, he diminished.
The Blazers played six games against the Rockets in this series, but Oden was only able to play roughly 16 minutes per game, averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds.
Needless to say, the Rockets beat the Trailblazers pretty badly.
Greg Oden’s Sophomore Season
In 2009-10, the following season, Oden’s game improved dramatically.
He was more confident and skilled. He ended the season averaging 11 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks.
But that’s not all he did this season -Oden also broke some records.
On Nov. 23, 2009, Oden scored a career-high 24 points.
Then a few games later, on Dec. 1, he recorded 20 rebounds -a career-best and a team record.
And to make things even sweeter, the Trailblazers were winning a bunch of games and had a record of 12 wins and 8 losses.
But on Dec. 5, the beginning to his end started.
The Blazers hosted the Rockets and within 4 minutes of playtime, Oden injured his knee and had to be taken off of the court on stretchers.
Oden suffered a fractured left patella and had to get surgery.
He sat out the remainder of the season.
Greg Oden’s Injuries
At the start of the following season, Oden had to get another surgery on his knee, which left him in street clothes for another season.
This trend of him having setbacks continued for another couple of seasons until March of 2012 when the team decided to waive him.
Oden took the remainder of the season to heal and recover from his injuries.
At the beginning of the 2013-14 season, Oden made his services available and signed a one-year deal with the Miami Heat, the previous season’s NBA Champs.
Though he was part of their roster, Oden barely played. He spent most of the season rehabbing and conditioning.
He played a total of 23 games and made 6 starts.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat made it to the NBA Finals this season, where Oden played a total of 3 minutes during garbage time.
The team eventually ended up losing to the San Antonio Spurs, but at least Oden got an opportunity to participate in the Finals.
Greg Oden’s Time in the CBA
After the season ended, Oden couldn’t find any suitors in the NBA.
So, he went over to China to play in the CBA with the Jiangsu Dragons.
There he played 25 games and averaged 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
He played internationally for one season before calling it quits.
What Did Greg Oden Do After His Professional Basketball Career?
After Oden quit basketball, he went back to Ohio State to complete his bachelor’s degree in sports management.
He is currently part of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ coaching staff as a graduate assistant.
In 2021, he played in the BIG 3 with the Aliens.
Final Thoughts
Greg Oden was a talented player whose career was derailed by injuries.
But even though he played a short time in the NBA, he was still able to achieve some great things.
He broke records and got to compete in the NBA Finals -something that many great players have never experienced.
