Greg Oden Drafted 7th Overall by Aliens at 2019 BIG3 Draft
Former NBA No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden was selected seventh overall by the Aliens in the 2019 BIG3 draft Wednesday.
He joins an expansion roster that features captain Andre Owens, co-captain Kendrick Perkins and co-captain Shannon Brown.
Oden last played in the NBA back in 2013-14 for the Miami Heat.
Oden's 7'0", 250-pound frame made him a dominant presence in the paint during his days at Ohio State. So dominant, in fact, that the Portland Trail Blazers selected him first overall in 2007 over Kevin Durant.
Unfortunately, injuries quickly derailed the big man's career.
Oden missed his first NBA season after he underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee during the preseason. He played in 61 games during his official rookie season in 2008-09, although foot and knee issues sidelined him at times.
That wound up being the most he would ever appear in during a single season.
He showed potential in 2009-10 by averaging 11.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in only 23.9 minutes per game. However, he fractured his left patella in early December, ending his season after only 21 games.
Oden missed the entire 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons due to multiple knee surgeries, which spelled the end of his Portland career. He did not play another game in the league until 2013-14.
With the Miami Heat needing size to complement LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Oden earned another opportunity as a bench player for the "Heatles." He made a limited impact for the Heat and was used sparingly as the team made its fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.
He has not played in the NBA since.
Oden made 105 appearances over parts of three seasons, averaging 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for his career.
Oden has since suited up for the Chinese Basketball Association's Jiangsu Dragons (2015-16) and The Basketball Tournament's Scarlet & Gray (2018).
After going undrafted in the BIG3 a year ago, the league announced in February that the 31-year-old would once again be part of its draft pool.
This time around, he heard his name called early on.
