From Grant Hill to Brandon Roy, injuries have derailed the careers of numerous players in the history of the NBA. But the one player whose career ended due to injuries before he could even really start playing was Greg Oden.
Drafted No. 1 in 2007 by the Portland Trail Blazers, Oden played a total of just 82 games over his five seasons. Knee injury after knee injury kept befalling Oden. He underwent three microfracture surgeries and had a total of seven knee surgeries. His knees just didn't hold up and for that, Oden believes he will be remembered as the biggest bust of all time.
From ESPN's Outside the Lines:
"I'll be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA history," Oden told Outside the Lines. "But I can't do nothing about that ... "Don't get me wrong," Oden said. "If I was healthy, I would love to continue playing, but I'm not healthy."
"Don't get me wrong," Oden said. "If I was healthy, I would love to continue playing, but I'm not healthy."
Oden's self-assessment is a bit harsh. After all, it's not like he quit trying.
Oden kept trying to get healthy and even spent a season with the Miami Heat in 2014. He also played in China last season. But since Oden was drafted No. 1 and Kevin Durant, one of the league's best players, was selected second, on the surface it looks like the Blazers made the wrong choice. And for that, many will see Oden as a bust.
The criticism is unwarranted but Oden seems to have at least, come to grips with it. A tragic realization yet if it helps Oden move forward in life (he is working to finish his degree at Ohio State), then more power to him. There is more to life than basketball after all.