Greg Oden
A generational basketball talent whose career was tragically derailed by relentless knee injuries, becoming a symbol of unrealized potential.
Born 1988 (age 38)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: January 22·Millennials
Biography
Greg Oden's story is one of the most poignant 'what-ifs' in modern sports. Heralded as the next great American center since high school, his physical dominance at Ohio State was immediate and profound. As a freshman, he led the Buckeyes to the NCAA championship game despite playing much of the season with a surgically repaired right wrist. Selected first overall in the 2007 NBA Draft—ahead of future MVP Kevin Durant—the Portland Trail Blazers saw him as a franchise cornerstone. But his body betrayed him. A series of devastating knee surgeries, including microfracture procedures, limited him to just 105 games over five seasons with the Blazers. His attempts at comebacks were heartbreakingly brief. After stepping away from playing, Oden returned to Ohio State to complete his degree and later served as a student assistant coach, finding a new, quieter connection to the game that once promised him so much.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Greg was born in 1988, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Greg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1988
#1 Movie
Rain Man
Best Picture
Rain Man
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Greg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1988Born
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1993Started school
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2001Became a teenager
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Could drive
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2006Could vote
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2009Turned 21
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2018Turned 30
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 38 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was the consensus national high school player of the year in 2006.
- Led Ohio State to the NCAA Championship game as a freshman, earning First Team All-American honors.
- Selected as the number one overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
- Named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.
Did You Know?
He was a dominant shot-blocker in college, recording 105 blocks in his single season at Ohio State.
Oden is left-handed but shot free throws right-handed, a rarity in basketball.
After his NBA career, he earned his degree in sport industry from Ohio State University.
He briefly played professionally in China for the Jiangsu Dragons during the 2015-2016 season.
“My body just wouldn't let me do what my mind knew I could.”
