Former Ohio State standout Greg Oden once looked like he was going to be the next great NBA center. However, injuries and a plethora of other issues plagued his NBA career, which he discussed in a detailed interview on Wednesday.
Oden was in the NBA for seven years but missed four years entirely due to devastating knee injuries. He discussed how his failed NBA career weighed on his mindset with The Ringer’s Mirin Fader on Wednesday.
“I just felt like a failure,” Oden told Fader. “I felt like I let a lot of people down. Letting Portland down, letting the whole entire staff and organization down. I felt like I let my family down and everybody who coached me and believed in me.”
He also detailed that these issues led to a number of personal problems like an addiction to painkillers and alcohol abuse. He even detailed that he was so ashamed that he constantly wore a hoodie to hide his face because he “felt like a loser”.
This is obviously incredibly sad, and many basketball fans took to social media to offer kind words to Oden.
I met Greg Oden at my apartment pool when I lived in Indy. Got to chop it with him for a few minutes. I’m so glad that he’s turning it around and that he’s finally happy with where he is. Because he deserves that peace. https://t.co/TZwaNgUwmW
— Inside Will (@WilliamRichJr) March 8, 2023
glad mirin’s profile didn’t shy away from talking about greg oden’s alcohol & drug abuse, and definitely didn’t shy away from his domestic violence case. it’s all part of the story.
— mike taddow (@MikeTaddow) March 8, 2023
MUST read for 🏀 fans.
Greg Oden & I both grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana. We all knew Greg & Travis Smith as brothers! When Travis died it devastated Greg. So proud of him for opening up about trauma, seeking help, & leading young men by example. https://t.co/Wbevo89Cd1
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) March 8, 2023
https://twitter.com/qshironalbertie/status/1633549086392565760
https://twitter.com/mikejurecki/status/1633569467002392576
Luckily this story does have a happy ending. While Oden hated the game of basketball for a while, he began to finally embrace the knowledge that his NBA career has given him.
He was offered a job by his former college coach Thad Matta this past offseason, who now coaches the Butler Bulldogs. Oden seems to really be enjoying this assistant coaching gig, speaking on that later in the discussion with Fader.
“It’s fun. It’s hard. But I really do enjoy it,” said Greg Oden on his time thus far with Butler.
