SUMMARY
- A video of Greg Oden being approached by an old lady went viral.
- Fans were left emotional over the video as Oden was one of the biggest stars that never lived up to his full potential.
Greg Oden is someone the NBA would have loved to watch. In all fairness, the former No.1 overall pick never necessarily had a bad day on the floor. However, he did not have enough time in the league to shape himself up into what he was projected to be. Every once in a while, we always come across a player who has never been able to live up to the hype. It is quite upsetting to see such players with so much potential lose their hopes in the sport due to various issues.
In Oden’s case, it was multiple injuries and surgeries to repair them. There is a prank video of an old lady asking Oden if he played basketball. The former Portland Trail Blazers center replied with a smile, saying, “I used to.” And as she walked away, Oden’s smile gradually faded.
this video is so sad 🥲🥲
— Hana (@HanaHoops) March 2, 2024
Man I wanted to see him shine, injuries suck 💔
— ₁₃ (@LandOfPG) March 2, 2024
One fan reacted to the video saying, “This video is so sad.” Another fan added, “Man I wanted to see him shine, injuries suck.” It was never easy for Greg himself to accept what fate had in store for him. At one point, he ended up resorting to alcoholism and rarely left his home for days while battling injuries.
Greg Oden wishes he had more time in the NBA
Almost every season that went by, Greg Oden always dealt with some injury or the other. Before making his debut, the Blazers star suffered from a microfracture in his knee, thus sidelining him during the 2007-08 season. He reclassified and commenced his rookie campaign in 2008. During the 2008-09 season, Oden appeared for 61 games, which would be his healthiest year.
He would miss the next three seasons due to a fractured patella, another microfracture in the knee, and several months of recovery. In 2012, he was waived from the Blazers as they could not deal with his uncertain presence. After using the entire 2012-13 season to get back in shape, he joined the Miami Heat on a one-year deal. But that was the last of Greg Oden in the NBA.
“I’ll be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA History… I don’t think I was that bad when I was on the court. I felt like it could have just got better if I had more time on there,” he said during an interview a couple of years ago. Oden only appeared for 105 games averaging 8 points and 6.2 rebounds per piece.
Greg Oden felt intimidated by Kevin Durant’s success
Greg Oden was the former No.1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. This draft also famously featured Kevin Durant as the second overall pick that year. KD has become one of the biggest stars in the league. Durant ranks amongst some of the greatest to ever do it. Known as arguably the best scorer in the league, Oden felt that it was only going to get tougher playing in the league with Durant’s emergence.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Oden said. “If I was healthy, I would love to continue playing, but I’m not healthy,” he said according to ESPN. Durant ended up winning the 2008 Rookie of the Year Award while averaging 20.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Now, Durant ranks amongst the top ten leading scorers of all time and has two NBA titles under his belt. Oden would have never been able to catch up with injuries holding him back.