Greg Oden has gone from former No. 1 overall pick to NBA benchwarmer, but he is not ashamed of his career arc. In fact, the current Miami Heat reserve seems to have come to terms with his legacy.
Oden’s former Ohio State teammate Mark Titus, who was a walk-on/benchwarmer for the Buckeyes when Oden was a star, wrote up a feature on his buddy for Grantland. Titus aimed to find out how Oden was handling his role as a benchwarmer — the center hasn’t played a minute in the playoffs for the Heat — and asked him if he’s OK hardly seeing the court.
“I know I’m one of the biggest busts in NBA history and I know that it’ll only get worse as Kevin Durant continues doing big things … It’s frustrating that my body can’t do what my mind wants it to do sometimes. But worrying or complaining about it isn’t going to fix anything … I wish the circumstances would let me play more, but I certainly don’t regret coming back, and I don’t regret signing with the Heat,” Oden said.
It’s too bad Oden has such a harsh view of himself. Sure, he may have turned out to be a bust, but that’s not the full story. He was a dominant college player. He would have been a good NBA center. But he just had a terrible body that wouldn’t cooperate with him. Most of what happened to him is out of his control. And he didn’t make himself the No. 1 overall pick; the Blazers did.
But I can’t say any of what’s happened this year with him on the Heat has been a surprise. I told you from the start that I didn’t like the signing and considered it a waste because Oden’s body makes him too unreliable. They’re learning that lesson.
H/T For the Win
