Former first overall pick Greg Oden is hoping to return to the court this summer — not in the NBA, but in Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league. The BIG3 announced today that Oden has joined the league’s draft pool for the coming season (Twitter link).
Oden, who turned 30 last month, was selected by Portland with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, one spot ahead of Kevin Durant. However, the Ohio State standout only appeared in 105 total NBA games, averaging 8.0 PPG and 6.2 RPG, last playing in the league for the Heat in 2013/14. His career was derailed by multiple knee and leg injuries.
After making an effort to revive his playing career in China during the 2015/16, the former Trail Blazers center said multiple times in the fall of 2016 that his playing career was over. “Don’t get me wrong,” Oden said at the time. “If I was healthy, I would love to continue playing, but I’m not healthy.”
A year and a half later, it appears Oden may not be ready to throw in the towel after all, as he makes an effort to participate in a three-on-three league that features former NBA players like Chauncey Billups, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, Rashard Lewis, Kenyon Martin, and many more. For now, Oden isn’t on a BIG3 roster, but if he’s healthy this spring, he’ll be an intriguing candidate to be plucked out of the draft pool by one of the league’s clubs.
If you think about it, of Portland drafted KD 1st overall they could’ve had KD, Aldridge and Lillard on the same team.
Don’t remind me :( They would’ve had Brandon Roy too but let’s change the subject
If they had Durant and Aldridge, there would have been very little chance of them drafting high enough to take Lillard in 2012.
That’s what I was going to say
They would’ve been able to draft Lillard because the pick they used on him was acquired from Brooklyn in the Gerald Wallace trade.
Like the other guy mentioned. If they had KD, they would have not acquired Gerald Wallace in the first place. So they wouldn’t have traded for the pick either.
Let’s not forget about that Jordan pass
I am waiting for the inevitable story in about 20 minutes that Oden is injured and out for the season.
If they already had KD and Batum on the roster it’s unlikely they ever acquire Gerald Wallace and then trade him to the nets for the Dame pick
He’s not getting picked first in this league.