Greg Oden was once talked about by all of the basketball world as the next great dominant big man to eventually enter the NBA. He dominated in the paint with his size and strength for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was very versatile and pretty quick for his size.
Oden decided though, that leaving college early for the NBA was his best decision, largely due to the high interest the league had for him, was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers over Kevin Durant, who eventually was taken by the Seattle SuperSonics—now Oklahoma City Thunder, in a very questionable and controversial move.
As we all have seen since Oden and Durant have been in the league, Durant has been nothing short of exceptional and amazing, and continues to grow into a dominant player in the NBA. Oden unfortunately bounced on and off of the injured reserve and only had one semi-productive season. After being given multiple chances with the Trail Blazers and going through 2 knee surgeries, he was let go.
In February of 2012, Oden’s comeback was shortened again by having to go through his third major knee surgery. Well, that was then and this is now, and even if Oden made some mistakes early, he was young and anxious.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers signed free agent center Andrew Bynum to a two-year deal, they officially pulled their name from the Greg Oden “sweepstakes”.
Now, Oden has met with the two-time defending champion Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs, and is rumored to be meeting with the Dallas Mavericks and a couple other possible suitors for his services.
Oden has so far narrowed his favorites down to the Spurs and Heat, with fellow Ohio star LeBron James having a big impact on the possible destination in Miami. He’s still big , strong and has a lot he wants to prove, but the clock is ticking and Greg Oden must make a difference now with whomever he may end up with. We shall see how it all plays out over the next couple of weeks.
As for me, being a huge basketball fan and born and raised in Ohio, I am still pulling for Oden to resurrect his career and make a big impact on the league regardless if he starts or comes off the bench.