Former NBA player Greg Oden is one of the biggest "what-ifs" in the league's history. After being riddled with injuries, he was unable to play in the league, leading him to play professionally in China. During an interview with HoopsHype, the former Trail Blazers big man was asked to recall some wild stories from this period in his life. He responded by saying:
"Well, I got two. Well, the little lobsters, which are crawfish basically, but they’re so dang old tasty. I go from thinking I’m only going to eat four to eating like 25 of them."
Oden's retelling of his interesting experience with the local cuisine and produce was followed by a hilarious encounter with three local women. He said:
"This one time I was getting off the elevator and I promise you these three grown women, the elevator opens, they look at me, scream in my face, and run back to their room. And I went through every emotion I possibly could. I laughed. I got mad."
"I was like, “What? What just happened?” And I go to tell my teammates. I was like, “What? What just happened?” They look at me and go, “They thought you were Godzilla.” So we all start cracking up."
Oden's time in China included several positive memories. As a professional basketball player, there were some memorable experiences related to his playing career as well.
During the interview, Oden was also asked to recall his experiences of playing in the CBA. He shared:
"It was a culture shock. That’s what I would say, but it was awesome. I’m not gonna lie. I got to play with MarShon Brooks. I played for the Jiangsu Dragons over there."
"Living in Nanjing, it was a lot, but I had so much fun, and for me, I got to go out there and play, and that’s all I can really ask. They gave me an opportunity. I had some things happen. Unfortunately, we didn’t make the playoffs that year, but it was a good time getting to meet some of my teammates. They were some of the coolest dudes I’ve ever met before. And I’m thankful for that experience."
Having played with the Jiangsu Dragons during the 2015-16 season, the big man appeared in 25 games for the team, while only starting in two.
In this span of time, he averaged 13.0 points and 12.6 rebounds with 2.0 blocks per game while shooting a highly efficient 53.8% from the field.
Unfortunately, Oden's ongoing knee injuries plagued his ability to play even in China. At the end of the season, the big man retired from professional basketball at the age of 28.
Oden's brief NBA career was also marked by a season with the Miami Heat. Playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade is something the big man referred to as a "surreal" experience. Unfortunately, this would also be his last season in the NBA. He retired with a career average of 8.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
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