After being selected No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2007 NBA Draft, Greg Oden was touted as, potentially, the next great big man until injuries got in the way of his bright future.
Now, Oden is about to embark on a new journey as part of Chris Holtmann’s coaching staff in Ohio State. A former Buckeye himself, Oden talks about his new opportunity.
Via Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch:
“I’m thankful, honestly, for coach Holt and his staff who have welcomed me in and given me this opportunity because that’s literally what I want to do is get into coaching. One of the toughest things to do is get your foot in the door, so for them to give me this opportunity while I’m able to actually get a Master’s degree in sports coaching from The Ohio State University, which I would love, is something that’s just amazing.”
Greg Oden already held other roles in Columbus such as student manager and student coach.
He is often included in the biggest “what ifs” conversation, no thanks to a brittle knee that forced him to miss his entire rookie season for the Blazers. After showing signs of life in the 2008-09 campaign, playing 61 games in total, the 7-footer saw a steep decline.
Before being drafted by the Blazers, Oden was a prominent figure for Ohio State as the Buckeyes' best player. He was a named first-team All-American after leading the school to the national championship game in 2007.
With his NBA past way behind Oden, the former Blazers center is eager to make his mark in the game in a different capacity.
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