Greg Oden’s playing career was derailed by repeated serious knee injuries, and he has since moved into off-court roles in basketball and athlete development.
NBA career and injuries
Greg Oden was drafted No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2007 NBA Draft, one pick ahead of Kevin Durant. Multiple knee surgeries, including microfracture procedures, caused him to miss his entire first NBA season and limited him to only a few short, injury-interrupted years with Portland and later the Miami Heat.
End of playing career
After attempting comebacks, Oden played in China for the Jiangsu Dragons in the 2015–16 season before stepping away from professional basketball as a player. He later stated in 2016 that he was essentially done playing competitively, aside from brief appearances in events like The Basketball Tournament and the Big3.
Off-court life and coaching
Following his retirement, Oden returned to Ohio State to finish his degree and worked with the Buckeyes program in a support role while studying. He went on to graduate in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in sport industry and stayed connected to basketball through various advisory and developmental positions.
Recent roles and focus
Oden has worked with Edyoucore Sports & Entertainment as an athlete advisor, helping players with financial education and life skills. In 2022, he joined Butler University’s men’s basketball staff under coach Thad Matta and then left in 2024 to rejoin Edyoucore as director of player development, shifting his focus to preparing young athletes for life beyond basketball.
