From Bust to Coach: The Rise, Fall, and Rebuilding of Greg Oden
When the annual McDonald’s All-American Game completed in 2006, the audience knew that out of the exciting showcase of top-tier collegiate recruits, only one would receive the title of MVP.
That man was Greg Oden.
The 18-year-old, towering, ultra-talented center out of Indianapolis’s Lawrence North High School could add yet another award to his name as he neared the conclusion of his high school basketball career.
Just to name a few of Oden’s awards out of high school:
- Naismith Prep Player of the Year
- Indiana Mr. Basketball
- USA Today Player of the Year (not once, but twice)
- Gatorade Player of the Year (not once, but twice)
Oden couldn’t have taken his talents to any college basketball program. But an unexpectedly large part of his eventual decision to commit to The Ohio State University? Discussing where to go with his best friend and then-high school teammate (and current NBA star) Mike Conley Jr. According to Bleacher Report, Oden had asked Conley while they both considered committing to the same university, “Wanna go to Ohio State?”, to which Conley replied, “If it’s cool with you”.
And that was that. On June 29, 2005. Oden and Conley both verbally committed to attend Ohio State.
Despite having to undergo surgery on his wrist prior in June 2006 and having to ride the bench when Ohio State began their season, Oden got his collegiate career started with a bang. On December 2, 2006, Oden poured a double-double off the bench as Ohio State faced Valparaiso, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
It didn’t matter than Oden had started his college career late. December of 2006 had left enough taste of Oden for the NBA to begin taking notice of his undeniable talent. Steve Kerr (before he became the future Hall of Fame coach of the Golden State Warriors) referred to Oden as a “once-in-a-decade player”.
Led by coach Thad Matta, Ohio State basketball went on to cruise through the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Whether they won in blowouts or overtime standoffs, Oden and the rest of the Buckeyes had the National Championship trophy in sight. But despite a valiant effort against Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators, April 2, 2007 ultimately belonged to the team of Joakim Noah, Al Horford, and Corey Brewer.
He may have lost the championship, but the 7 ft, 250-lb Oden had plenty to be thankful for. An All-American and winner of the Pete Newell Big Man Award, it certainly must have been good for his confidence.
Good enough to enter the 2007 NBA draft.
After announcing his eligibility to be drafted, Oden was selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. Ahead of Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, and even his pal Mike Conley. But this is where his once-promising career began its infamous downfall.
After having to undergo microfracture surgery on his right knee, Oden was unable to play his entire rookie season. When he finally stepped onto an NBA court the following year, he finished with zero points and one re-injured leg in thirteen minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Three seasons after drafting him, the Trail Blazers released Oden. After the unceremonious end to his Trail Blazers career, Oden decided to delay his return to the NBA to focus on his recovery from the onslaught of injuries that limited him to just 82 games the prior three seasons.
Oden finally returned to an NBA court on January 15, 2014, this time as a member of the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. That season, the Heat won the Eastern Conference and earned a trip to the 2014 NBA Finals. But when the season was done, Oden’s contract expired and he was once again without a team.
Since then, the journey has been tough for Oden. Unsurprisingly, he has never played another NBA game. He has attempted to stay in contact with basketball. There was a year overseas in China. There was an attempt to get drafted by Ice Cube’s BIG3 league (without getting picked). And there was an appearance as a reserve player on a team competing in a $2 million winner-take-all basketball tournament.
The worst part of it all: The fact that in 2007, he was drafted ahead of future NBA MVP Kevin Durant, future NBA Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah, and multiple other players who have enjoyed All-Star Game and All-NBA Team appearances since that year’s draft.
As a result of other 2007 draftees having successful career compared to Oden’s lack thereof, Oden may spend the rest of his life with the label every athlete fears: Bust.
In his aforementioned 2019 Bleacher Report interview, Mike Conley came to Oden’s defense, adding, “I think ‘bust’ is a tough term, because…we all saw what he could do. His athleticism, his ability, there’s no bust about that”.
Oden himself added on the same segment while he himself has mixed and fluctuating opinions on the label of ‘draft bust’, he realizes that, ultimately, “it’s just a word”.
The road outside of basketball has also not been very kind to Oden. On August 11, 2014, he was arrested and charged with battery after a domestic disturbance occurred four days earlier. After pleading guilty, Oden was ordered to serve time on probation, pay an undisclosed fine, and attend counseling sessions.
While the handling of domestic violence in sports will always be a touchy subject, it’s clear that all athletes go through the pressures of living up to the public’s expectations. When they fail to perform up to par, the media uses to opportunity to make a quick joke. For Greg Oden, being labeled a bust has had its fair share of emotional struggle.
“A lot of watching old YouTube clips and crying by myself”, Oden commented, “It was definitely a mental switch I had to make”.
While his entire life since the 2007 NBA draft has been a winding road full of ups and downs, it seems that Oden, now 31 years old, has reaching a safe destination.
“I picked up the phone and called Coach [Thad] Matta”, Oden recalled. After Matta, who has continued to spearhead Ohio State’s men’s basketball team since Oden still wore scarlet and gray, encouraged him to take up a role in basketball by coming back to his old collegiate team as a team manager, Oden reflected on it as “the greatest thing I did”.
Oden isn’t alone in being excited for the next chapter of his life. Conley recalled that when Oden first told him about his new coaching gig, “I was proud of him… he’s got so much to teach”.
Since returning to Columbus, Oden has taken his new responsibility seriously. In addition, he has also stabilized other aspects of his life as well. In September 2017, he married his fiance Sabrina Williams, with whom he has a son. In May 2019, he finished his college degree.
On March 10, 2019, Oden was recognized during Ohio State basketball’s senior day, and hopes his coaching career will continue, telling Bleacher Report, “I want to go into coaching next. I really enjoy trying to figure this new game of basketball”.
When it comes time to remember Greg Oden’s legacy, is it really fair to refer to him as a bust? Unlike Oden, 1998 first overall pick Michael Olowokandi had a long career. But injuries didn’t affect his reputation. According to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, lack of coachability did. Additionally, 2001 first overall pick Kwame Brown proved to be uncoachable when Michael Jordan tried to encourage him to work harder. The result? An Olowokandi-esque career.
Additionally, several other ex-top draft picks are infamously known today as busts. Some because they didn’t work hard. Some because they brushed with the law. And some because they couldn’t keep their weight under control.
Does Oden really deserve the dubious label simply because injuries kept him from potentially becoming the next Shaq? Whether he deserves it or not, several analysts have made the choice to use the label (and all the baggage that comes with it) against him.
Life hasn’t been easy as a “what-could-have-been” ex-NBA player for Greg Oden. But through the ups and downs, he’s found stability and developed a plan for his future. Even as his NBA career neared its end, it became obvious that basketball would always have a place in Greg Oden’s heart.
Whether or not his coaching career will be able to able to shed the label of ‘bust’, Oden has chosen a path of redemption that still revolves around the game he loves so much.
Whatever opinion you have of him, you can’t help but respect him, be proud of his growth as a person, and wish him well.
