Former Blazer Looks Back on Final Playing Season in China

The ex-lottery pick unpacked the end of his pro career in a new interview.

Nov 3, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; The Portland Trail Blazers logo at center court before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Former Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden, expected to be the team's defensive fulcrum of the future and head deep into the playoffs alongside All-Stars shooting guard Brandon Roy and All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, only suited up for 82 contests (starting 60) with the club across his five seasons in Rip City. The 7-foot big man was selected with the No. 1 pick in a stacked 2007 NBA Draft, ahead of eventual 14-time (and counting) All-Star forward Kevin Durant, five-time All-Star center/power forward Al Horford, three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year center Marc Gasol, two-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year center Joakim Noah, and All-Star point guard Mike Conley.

The Ohio State product was eventually waived by the Trail Blazers in 2012. In Portland, he finished with averages of 9.4 points on 57.7 percent shooting from the field and 66.6 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.6 dimes a night.

After three years of rehabilitating through two left knee microfracture surgeries and one arthroscopic right knee surgery from 2010-13, Oden finally made his NBA return, latching on with the defending champion Miami Heat for what wound up being 23 regular season games and three playoff games. He served in much the same capacity as another oft-injured former to lottery pick, Eddy Curry, in 2012. Like the 2001 No. 4 overall pick, Oden functioned as a deep-bench reserve for a fast-paced club that prioritized floor-spacing Chris Bosh at the five spot. Miami returned to its fourth straight NBA Finals, where it was bested by the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

Oden didn't return to Miami for 2014-15. Nor did he play anywhere at all.

Although Oden worked out with the Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks in 2015, Oden couldn't land a contract heading into the 2015-16 season. So he went abroad.

Oden agreed to a reported $1.2 million one-year deal with Chinese Basketball Association club the Jiangsu Dragons. Across his 25 contests that year, he logged averages of 13.0 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks a night.

During an extensive conversation with former Heat teammate Udonis Haslem and Haslem's former Heat teammate Mike Miller (Oden and Miller didn't overlap in Miami) on their podcast "The OGs," Oden unpacked his final playing stint, with the Dragons.

"I ended up going to China, and I felt like I was good. A million dollars, tax-free, a couple, six months," Oden said. "But it was my first time in China, too... I was smoking a pack a day. I was smoking cigarettes right before the game, stressed."

Following that year, it takes a lot for me to even play in a game, for me to even get ready to play in a game. And at that time, I was just like, 'I'm about to get married, I'm about to have a child. I want to be home, I want to be there," Oden continued.

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