Greg Oden is largely known as one of the greatest busts in NBA history, but that does not do his story the justice it deserves. Today we cover the ups and downs of one of the top prospects of the 2000's.
From the perspective of the Blazers and their fans, that number 1 overall draft pick was a bust. Not in the same way as a guy like Kwame Brown that was just a total scrub, but the end result is the same: a number 1 overall draft pick that ended up producing very little value.
Greg Oden was never "bad" he just couldn't shake the injuries. Some players get an unfair label of being a bust when injuries prevented them from reaching their full potential
Portland really had horrible luck with Oden and Roy having such promising careers derailed by injuries. If healthy, they could've been the core of a contending team for many years. Going back further, they also had Sam Bowie and Bill Walton hamstrung by injuries. And there was some political BS, along with injuries, that kept Arvydas Sabonis from joining the Blazers until he was well past his prime. Put a young healthy Sabonis on the late 80s-early 90s Blazers, who made 2 finals without him, and they probably would've been a dynasty that rivaled or surpassed Jordan's Bulls. Portland has been cursed by circumstance more than any other NBA team.
@@carltonbanks2865 That was just a bad pick. He was fantastic as a sophomore, missed 2 full years due to injury then was a shadow of his former self his senior season In the NBA he had more injury problems. He was actually better than Oden when he played and had a longer career
When I first found you a month or two ago you had like 25% of the subs you have now. Not surprised a bit, I saw the growth coming from a mile away. Keep making these, you’re good at it, there is a market for it, and the list of players you can cover is endless.
When I lived in Columbus, I saw him downtown (he was out of the NBA at the time), some overweight girl wouldn’t leave him alone. He gave me a “help me” look so I ended up buying him a drink and acted like we were old friends so she’d go away. We talked for a minute.. nothing crazy(super nice guy) but was one of those bro code moments I’ll cherish forever
Greg Oden is not really a bust. Dude was great in the games he was able to play before his unfortunate injuries. Dude never even had the chance to show how good he was because of the injuries.
even when he played he wasn't quite as good as he was hyped up to be, like the hype was that he was going to be the next dominant big man, but he didn't really have the offense for that, and he fouled way too much. Still a promising player, but kind of disappointing even before all his injuries.
@@eduardopena5893 If he remained healthy I can see him evolving into a Tyson Chandler level of player which is pretty good More likely an Erick Dampier level of player which is not bad But in reality he had a less successful career than Greg Ostertag, those are the breaks
I remember reading somewhere that Greg never had a knee or even a leg injury throughout his highschool and college career, it wasn't until he was drafted by the Blazers and given specific shoes with lifts to make his legs the sake length and started training with them that his injury troubles started. One has to wonder how much of an effect those sneakers had on his legs and whether it was even necessary in the first place since he became the best prospect in the country without needing corrective shoes and was healthy up till that point besides a minor wrist injury in his senior year in highschool
The micro fracture surgeries apparently were what messed him up. They took cartilage from another part of his body and put it into his knee. Studies have shown the cartilage placed into his knee isn’t nearly as strong as the original knee cartilage so is more so just a temporary fix until he puts too much pressure on it again
That's not how microfracture works. Microfracture is drilling holes into your knee to build up scar tissue that is then a substitute for cartilage. It is a temporary fix. It is also about 50/50 success rate. Some guys have come back from it, others didn't. The process you are talking about is what they do now, where they inject cartilage from chicken or cows in your knee and that is also temporary and doesn't seem to work as well.
Man keep up the great work, you're already on par with the top basketball creators on RU-vid with the sick ass editing, you're miles ahead of your subscriber count.
I never thought he was as a Bust. He’s just one of those rare stories of a great athletes career that is sidelined by injuries. He was a DEVASTATING defensive presence in the paint.
Except he couldn't stay on the court. That's a big problem. Doesn't matter how great you are if you can't play. Portland drafted him to be the man. He was a bust.
I remember ESPN showing some fact that when Oden actually played, his efficiency rating was quite good. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see him actually develop.
Great video! I have been a life long spurs fan, and I remember the justified hype of oden coming into college and then the draft. I’ll admit I was jealous of Portland getting to draft him because he looked like he was the next great big man has always been my favorite part of basketball. He also always seems so genuine and light hearted but a hard worker which is just a recipe for greatness. This was not a “bust” story. This was a huge loss for nba fans, for the city of Portland, and for a young man that deserved better. I hope he has truly found his happiness and a place to live a balanced life. Here wishing him all the best!
I used to work at a dispensary in Columbus and he went there. I remember having him as a customer and he was really nice as fuck. I had his signature for five minutes on a receipt. Lmfao
Yeah he's one person I don't consider a bust, he's just tragic. The little time he did get on the court "healthy" he was a monster. It just didn't go his way, shit happens and its a shame it happened to such a nice quiet dude.
People call Bowie a bust all the time and it's basically the same story. He was pretty good when he played and he had a better career than Oden by any measure
I never thought of Oden as a bust. He was very sympathetic in my eyes. I think he could have been a big star if his body hadn’t given out. Though, there’s no way at all to defend the domestic abuse. But, i do think that was the result of the spiral that he went down.
Thanks for the fair handed tribute video. Greg was a good player when he was on the court. Those saying he was a bust are just repeating the narrative. Great job on the video. PS I also don't think Kwame was a bust either but that's another topic altogether.
I never saw him as a generational talent. Massive, physically imposing but skill level left a lot to be desired. I think his agility was overrated. To me he was a bit lumbering and had to load up to explode. Didnt have much of an offensive game outside of power, and a left shoulder jump hook. Shaq he wasnt. He didnt even process the game that quickly so he could've been doubled. Statistically and in terms of impact I think he would've been closer to peak dikembe than a p. Ewing.
Greg Oden, what a good kid he was. Never complained about his fate, just kept trying. Kid wanted to be a dentist--what teenager wants to be a dentist? But his huge size pushed him toward basketball. TBH, with the huge hands he has, he probably couldn't be a dentist. What a twist of irony--surely there's a dentist out there who wishes he were tall enough to play ball. I can't help but just feel bad for him. He definitely got a fate he didn't deserve.
I wish he will be a college coach, I believe that, by his demeanor now, it will be the best fit for him. Such a kind fella, so sorry for his misfortune! but you know, as per the ending, he got some money out of the NBA, he still wants to work and build a legacy so nothing to be sorry about, only thinking forward! Wishing nothing but good luck to the big fella!
I don't understand how anyone can label Oden a bust when there's players like Ben Simmons, who has the talent to be a top 10 player but has 0 desire to play or improve. Guys like Thabeet, Kwame, Olawakandi, etc. may not have had the skill required to be good in the pros, but at least they tried, which is a whole lot more than Ben Simmons does. To me Ben Simmons is hands down the biggest bust of all time and it's not even close.
Oden was a beast in college and showed so many flashes as a pro. He just couldn't stay healthy. He was absolutely deserving of the number one pick. At worst number two after Durant. It's a shame he never got to show what he could do. Because he was really really talented
What baffles me are the people saying he cant be a bust he just injured. Did he perform? No. We dont leave in dreamland and base history on the million what ifs that could happen.
He looked like he was 30 in college. His body was 40 by the time he hit the nba with all the HS and AAU miles on a frame that was clearly aging faster than normal. Maybe he had a growth defect issue?
When your a guy that’s so humble, your more conscious of what people think and are more considerate of others, the media made it harder for him to fight through his injuries rather than motivating him since he never thought he was the best player in the world.
He wasn’t bad. Just because injuries was his only problem doesn’t mean he’s bad. He could play really smart defense, could rebound, could block. He even could outplay Shaq. He was actually really good. He could’ve been dominating if he was still in the league. So he is not “BAD”.
David Robinson offensively, bill Russel defensively with almost a shaq kind of physical intimidating. In other words if not injured Oden would’ve been a top 5 center all time
Not sure how old that sound clip is, but it makes me sad to hear that he thinks people think of him as the biggest bust of all time. Anyone who knows the first thing about his career or basketball in general knows that’s not the case. Poor guy’s body just betrayed him
nah, he's not a bust. He's just a terribly misfortunate high draft prospect. He definitely had all the makings of an Allstar/Superstar, perhaps even a HoF career. Misfortunes don't mean you cannot judge a man by his character. Having every possible chance to show off your skills and not capitalizing or even progressing can definitely be judged. But Oden put in the effort when he was healthy, and he definitely had the drive and the dog in him to want to get better and lead his team to greatness. When he says it like he did, you believe him.
Seeing how well Jokic and Embiid are doing in today's NBA, it's a shame Oden didn't stay healthy. He would've done just fine. The idea of a generational big man practically guaranteeing a contender is still NOT a dated concept at all. NBA Starters with 23 PER in their second season like Oden did pretty much have all won championships. Duncan, Robinson, Jokic, Shaq, Hakeem all had that. This isn't Ewing, Cousins, Dwight Howard, Mutumbo, Daughterty, Mourning...etc. Great players but not exactly super centers. In that sense, I think Oden was probably the best player in that draft. With an offense akin to Jokic and Dwight Howard where he can bang down low but with strong footwork and with already historic level rebounding and block percentages as a rookie....I think you could've seen a DPOY/MVP type player which does win you championships.
There are 3-types of bust. 1. Did not live up to the hype because player was never really that good. 2. Did not live up to the hype because team messed up his growth and career overall. 3. Dis not live up to the hype because injury/incident derailed his career. Oden was obviously the 3rd one. And a bit of the 2nd one.
I dont think he was bad when he played. Granted his production was that of a top 10 pick. But if he was healthy he could of easily still been playing today.
Taking greg oden was never the best option soon as I saw Durant play I knew he was the number 1 pick and people said I was crazy, Oden wasn't a Bust he was just injury prone but even if he stayed healthy he wasn't going to be better than Durant
He Wasn't Bad, But I Can't Say The Same For His Brittle Knee's. It's Sad To Know That Injuries Ended A Career That In Reality Never Got The Chance To Shine.
Amazing to hear he’s doin better after I seen dat video on tik tok of the old lady askin him if he hoops shit made me feel for him bc I could see his pain. This life is Shit is something else’s.
Well the video showed that he was good just that hit by bad luck due to injuries. It was just how he named his series but if you watched it he did not say that Oden was bad.
Everyone who says the blazers made a stupid draft pick need to realize that 29/30 teams would have taken Oden over Durant. Orlando is the only team that wouldn’t have because they had prime Dwight. Blazers were just unlucky they got the #1 and not #2
Blazers really have bad luck drafting centers. LaRue Martín, 1st pick 1972 NBA Draft vs Bob McAdoo the 2nd pick, Sam Bowie, 2nd pick of 1984 draft vs Michael Jordan the 3rd pick and Greg Oden, 1st pick 2007 NBA draft vs Kevin Durant the 2nd pick. Even though I believe Oden is not a bust but imagine if they Blazers drafted KD instead.
