Greg Oden, No. 1 NBA pick in 2007, admits to raging after seeing player’s massive deal: ‘I hated life’

Greg Oden was a highly touted NBA prospect coming out of Ohio State in 2007.

The Portland Trail Blazers selected Oden with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and the 7-foot center was seen as the future of the organization. He was taken over the likes of Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley Jr. and Marc Gasol.

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Greg Oden, Butler assistant, at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. (Robert Scheer/IndyStar/USA Today Network)

Injuries hampered Oden’s career almost immediately. He didn’t play in his first season and then averaged nearly nine points and seven rebounds per game in his second season. He was on the sidelines from 2010 to 2013 for injuries again and later only played 23 games with the Miami Heat during the 2013-14 season.

He was out of the league and went back to school after that.

Oden, 36, appeared on “The OGs” podcast a few weeks ago and talked to Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem about the influx of money some players have received in recent years.

Ohio State Buckeyes center Greg Oden posts up against Wisconsin Badgers center Greg Stiemsma during the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago on May 11, 2007. (Jerry Lai-USA Today Sports)

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He admitted, with a smile, that it “hurt” to see some players receive arguably undeserving deals. Oden said he probably made around $24 million in his career.

“The year I retired was the year Timofey Mozgov – no disrespect – got that $50 million. I wanted to kill everybody in the f—ing world,” Oden said. “I hated life. I was depressed. If they threw him $50 mil? I was like all I need to do is be on the team and that’s $20 million easy. It hurts my heart talking about it.”

Former center Greg Oden smiles while watching the Trail Blazers play the Memphis Grizzlies at the Rose Garden in Portland, April 3, 2013. (Craig Mitchelldyer-USA Today Sports)

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Oden implored young athletes to make sure they know where their money is going and who has access to it.

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