Former Ohio State center Greg Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, has a lot of times on his hands to finish his degree in Columbus – and that’s just what he’s going to do, according to a piece Wednesday on Grantland.com.
Oden has suffered through three microfracture knee surgeries, usually a figurative death null for a basketball player, and was released by the Portland Trail Blazers this year after playing in just 82 career games since being drafted nearly five years ago.
Oden did a rare interview with Grantland, which was conducted by his friend and former teammate Mark Titus, a bench-warmer for the Buckeyes who has entered the world of sportswriting.
In the interview, Oden talks about his struggles with injuries, alcohol, fame and the specter of watching Kevin Durant – the player selected one pick after Oden and to whom he was compared in the 2007 draft – become a scoring champion and MVP candidate.
Most of all, though, it was news to us that Oden will return to school in Columbus at just 24-years old and work on his degree while rehabbing his knee for the entire 2012-13 season and hoping for a comeback after that, according to Grantland.
We wish Oden the best, though it’s going to be hard living the anonymous life Oden told Grantland he covets in Columbus, where the 7-footer led OSU to the national championship game and now could be sitting next to you in chemistry class. Greg Oden profile
