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Greg Oden was once a promising young big man with hopes of fulfilling his NBA dreams before injuries derailed his career. He's been retired from the game since 2016, but that hasn't stopped him from getting involved with the sport that he loves.
Oden's picture made the rounds recently after it went viral on social media. The picture featured the former first overall pick watching a game with Butler University and the camera focused on his face. A graphic with his name and title was quickly shown on the screen, which confirmed his association with Butler.
According to various sources, Oden was named director of basketball operations just this October. The former NBA big man was hired by his former coach at Ohio State, Thad Matta. Fans couldn't help but share their appreciation of the 7-foot big still being active in the basketball world.
It's been quite a while since Oden went viral for basketball. The last viral moment about him was when he had a quick talk with an elderly lady. While walking and minding his business, the lady approached him and asked if he played basketball. Sadly, the former Portland Trail Blazers center responded with, "I used to."
The lady playfully joked around and said that she could beat Oden. To which, the Ohio State alum emotionally smiled. The video went viral and fans couldn't help but feel bad for how his NBA career played out. Luckily for Greg, he's still a part of basketball, this time only as an off-court member.
Also read: If only: the Greg Oden-Kevin Durant story
The NBA career of Greg Oden
Greg Oden will forever be known as the man drafted before Kevin Durant. With his height, he was bound to be great and become legendary. In his lone season with Ohio State, he was dominant enough to be selected as the No. 1 pick. As the man in the middle, Oden anchored the defense for Ohio State.
Oden averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks in college. This played a huge role in the Blazers' decision to draft him over Durant, despite the 6-9 phenom dominating the college scene with the Texas Longhorns. After getting drafted, it seemed like the defensive center was starting to gain bad luck.
He didn't play the 2007-08 season due to a knee injury. Oden's first official season was in 2008-09, and he was a solid young big. He averaged 8.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 61 games played. Sadly, he wasn't able to stay healthy for the following campaign.
His sophomore season wasn't impressive as he only played 21 games and was on the bench for the next three seasons. In the 2013-14 season, the Miami Heat signed Greg Oden to a one-year deal in hopes of getting him back on the floor. But that was the last NBA season he was able to play as injuries held him back.
Also read: Who was drafted as the #1 pick ahead of Kevin Durant in the 2007 NBA Draft and where is he now?
Guess the Lakers players!
