Greg Oden: 'I'll be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA history'

ByJeff Goodman ESPN logo
Saturday, November 12, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden said this week he'll be remembered as the "biggest bust in NBA history."

The 7-foot Oden is currently taking classes toward his degree and is a student assistant coach at Ohio State, where he spent one season before being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the first overall pick in 2007.

"I'll be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA history," Oden told Outside the Lines. "But I can't do nothing about that."

Oden also reiterated that his playing days were over.

"Don't get me wrong," Oden said. "If I was healthy, I would love to continue playing, but I'm not healthy."

Oden previously had told Sports Illustrated that he was "one of the biggest busts in NBA history" and that "it would only get worse as Kevin Durant continues doing big things."

Durant, drafted one spot after Oden, is a four-time NBA scoring champion.

Oden, 28, played just 82 games for the Blazers. He missed his entire rookie season because of microfracture surgery on his right knee. Two seasons later, in 2009-10, he was averaging 11.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game when he broke his left kneecap.

Oden had two more microfracture knee surgeries -- both on his left knee -- and didn't play at all in his final two seasons under contract with Portland.

Oden had 13 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks in the game that preceded his December 2009 kneecap injury. He was averaging 15.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in the seven games leading up to that injury.

"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."

Oden sat out 2012-13 to rehab his injuries and wasn't under an NBA contract before playing for theMiami Heatin 2013-14, averaging 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 23 games of his final NBA season. He spent last season playing in China.

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