There was a time when Greg Oden was looked at for greatness rather than as a cautionary tale. The first pick by Portland in the 2007 NBA Draft, Oden has played in just 82 games due to injuries.
The Trailblazers released him and he’ll be rehabbing his knee for the next year. Oden talked to former Ohio State teammate Mark Titus, now a columnist.
Oden revealed that when his cousin came to live with him, his lifestyle spiraled down. “If you know anything about guys in the Air Force,” Oden said, “it’s that they drink a ton. My cousin got wrapped up in the NBA lifestyle and threw parties at my house all the time. So I got wrapped up in it too. When I played well, I’d drink to celebrate. And when I played poorly, I’d drink to forget. That second year in Portland I pretty much became an alcoholic.”
Which may have not been Oden’s lowest point. That came when nude photos of him were leaked on the internet. Oden stayed in his house for three days.
