Greg Oden enters BIG3 basketball league draft pool

Greg Oden is not giving up on basketball.

The former No. 1 overall pick, hoping to revitalize his career at 31 years old, is entering his name into the BIG3 basketball league draft pool.

Oden was selected first overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, one spot ahead of Kevin Durant. But knee problems derailed a promising career, and he wound up appearing in 82 games in two seasons with the Blazers. He made a brief comeback with the Miami Heat in the 2013-14 season, but that lasted just 23 games. He averaged 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 105 career games and retired from the NBA in 2016.

Oden spent the 2015-16 season in the Chinese Basketball Association, but was cut after 25 games. Last year, he participated in The Basketball Tournament, playing with ex-Ohio State teammates such as Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft. He dropped 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in his debut for the Scarlet & Gray.

But to illuminate how far his career has fallen, the big man went unselected in the BIG3 draft last year.

This year, with the third-year league expanding from 10 to 12 teams, there might be a spot for Oden. The league, started by the rapper Ice Cube, has become a destination for retired players and past-their-prime veterans seeking one more chance to play professionally. In addition to Oden, recognizable names such as Gilbert Arenas and Lamar Odom are joining the league next season.

Would Oden’s back-to-the-basket, post game have held up in today’s perimeter-oriented NBA? Probably not. But it’s hard not to take a look at his highlights at Ohio State and imagine the career he could have had.

The injuries may have weighed on him, but hopefully we get to see one more flash of what made Oden the No. 1 pick 12 years ago. And, if all goes well in the BIG3, who knows? At age 31, there’s still plenty of time for him to move up the basketball ranks and attempt another NBA comeback.

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