Biography
Greg Oden was born on January 22, 1988, in Buffalo, New York. He developed his love and passion for basketball at an early age; the game that would pave the way for his future. After one of the most illustrious high school careers in sports, where he was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball, Parade's High School Co-Player of the year, Gatorade’s National Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and was selected to the McDonald’s All-American Team, Greg found a home with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Proudly wearing a Buckeyes jersey and playing for Coach Thad
Matta, Oden pieced together a very impressive collegiate resume. In only one
year spent at
Ohio
State, Oden led the
Buckeyes to a 35-win season, achieving a Big Ten regular-season title, and the
league tournament crown, before an unfortunate loss in the NCAA Tournament
championship game. Although the Buckeyes fell short of a nearly perfect season,
Oden’s dominance was widely recognized. He received honors such as First Team
All-Big Ten, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a selection on the Associated
Press All- American Team. From there, Oden decided it was time to put his
talent to the test, and on April 20th, he announced that he would be entering
the 2007 NBA Draft.
With the number one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Portland
Trailblazers selected Oden in hopes of reviving a struggling franchise. Since
the draft, Oden has shown glimpses of greatness, and has been recognized by
members of the media as a rising star. He has appeared on numerous TV and award
shows such as
Rome
is Burning, PTI, and the ESPYs. He has also been featured in top publications
such as USA Today, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Dime Magazine.
Oden has even graced the covers of magazines such as Slam, Sporting News and
ESPN the Magazine.
Perhaps more impressive has been the time he has spent away
from the spotlight and in the community. Oden has worked closely with the
‘Oregon Mentors’ organization to create Team
ODEN, a partnership that aims to connect youth with positive, caring
mentors. Team ODEN puts on a variety
of events every year, including the Summer Slam Carnival,
Holiday
movie screenings, and provides tickets to Blazers home games for children and
their mentors to attend.
Player Profile
| Name: | Greg Oden |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | 1988-01-23 |
| Height: | 7' 0" |
| Weight: | 285 |
| Position: | Center |
| Current Team: | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Year Aquired: | 2007 |
Background
| Hometown: Buffalo, NY, U.S.A. |
| Current Residence: Portland, OR, U.S.A. |
| High School: Lawrence North H.S., IN, U.S.A. |
| College: Ohio State, U.S.A. |