8 players who had their careers cut short because of injuries
Greg Oden
In 2007, there wasn’t a player in the NBA who had the potential to become the next greatest big man since Shaquille O’Neal than Greg Oden. Coming out of college, Oden was 7 feet tall and had athletic gifts that most forwards and guards could only dream of. A physical specimen that is rarely seen in sports, Oden was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers with high hopes of being the NBA’s next big thing.
In college, Oden completely dominated the competition. He averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.3 blocked shots a game. He led the Buckeyes to a 35-4 record and 2nd place in the NCAA tournament behind a Joakim Noah led Florida team. He was drafted number 1 overall in the 2007 NBA draft. Then everything came off its hinges for Oden.
Oden started off his NBA career on the completely wrong foot. His knees just could not handle his huge frame. So he required surgery that effectively made him sit out for the entire 2007-08 season. But all hope was not lost on Oden, he returned the following year and played in 61 games. Despite having limited minutes (21.5 MPG) his production was still pretty solid averaging 8.9 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game.
But the next year he could not stay healthy for any period of time. A couple of nagging pains kept him periodically sidelined for the first couple months of the season. Then in Decemeber, he suffered another knee injury, forcing him to spend the rest of the season watching from the sideline. The following year the same type of thing happened, where a knee injury sidelined him for the majority of the season. He spent the next couple of years going through surgery after surgery until the Trailblazer finally gave up on him.
He had one more run at resurrecting his NBA career with the Miami Heat in 2013-14. But unfortunately his body was too fragile to put him in for more than 10 minutes a game. His playing time and production were both limited that entire season, and he was not resigned by any other team this season.
Oden is a classic example of lingering injuries and knee pain preventing him from unlocking his true potential in the NBA. I always like to wonder what Oden could have been if he had remained healthy. With the frame of a young Kareem Abdul Jabbar and the athleticism of Karl Malone, Oden could have been a Hall of Famer someday. But his career will forever be identified with injury after injury ending in disappointment for all involved.
Next: Jay Williams