Greg Oden helping the Celtics on draft workouts

[mr. dee]

This isn’t how Greg Oden saw his career going. The 31-year-old should have been angling for one more long-term contract in what most people expected to be a long career.

Injuries robbed him of that, but not of his passion for basketball. Now the former number one overall pick is focused on a new path: coaching.

“I’m done playing. I helped out at Ohio State for the past three, four years. So I just kinda hit the bug on me," he told MassLive. "I enjoy working with the players. I enjoy that side of it.”

The pursuit of that coaching career brought him to Boston. He was invited by the team to help out and take the floor with players and to help in their evaluation.

“Just to help out with the pre-draft stuff and see what happens from it," Oden said. "I’ll take that opportunity from it. It’s the freakin’ Celtics.”

Helping the Celtics evaluate players leads to a sort of evaluation of Oden. The more he can take part in things like this, the more he can show how he works with players.

This is also a part of the feeling-out process for Oden, too. He’s looking to stay involved with basketball, and getting into coaching means finding and making the most of opportunities like this.

“Honestly, whatever side I can get into," he said. "But I do like being on the court with the players.”

For Oden, the draw to coaching means creating a new basketball legacy through other players. Even though his body didn’t cooperate, his mind is full of basketball knowledge that he has enjoyed sharing in this new chapter.

“Seeing them guys get better, knowing you had a little hand in getting them a little bit better," he said of the draw to coaching. "I think that was really good.”

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/06/greg-oden-assists-in-boston-celtics-pre-draft-workouts-as-he-pursues-a-path-in-coaching.html

I'm wondering if he can help Robert Williams develop some post moves and rebounding techniques.

[Birdman]

How can he help develop anyone? Dude never played hardly himself

[CelticsElite]

How can he help develop anyone? Dude never played hardly himself

I feel like he would be really good at helping injured players in their recovery process. He probably knows everything about it  lol.

[Roy H.]

How can he help develop anyone? Dude never played hardly himself

You could say the same thing about any coach who never played in the NBA, like Pops, Stevens, etc.

[gouki88]

Nice to see him finding ways to a) make a living and b) stay in the field he loves.

Too often do people have their careers cut short only for it to all go wrong in other fields do them.

[Rosco917]

I wish him well, he wants to stay involved in the game he loves.

[footey]

How can he help develop anyone? Dude never played hardly himself

He was dominant one year in college. Derailed by injuries. What a shame.

[Chief Macho]

he was so dope his year in college.   my fave big man next to shaq.

[Kuberski33]

At the time, Oden was the consensus choice for #1 pick over Durant.  The contrast between how things worked out for them is crazy.

[CelticsElite]

At the time, Oden was the consensus choice for #1 pick over Durant.  The contrast between how things worked out for them is crazy.

ainge said he had Durant #1 on his board

[Never Nervous Pervis]

At the time, Oden was the consensus choice for #1 pick over Durant.  The contrast between how things worked out for them is crazy.

ainge said he had Durant #1 on his board

Danny definitely would have taken Durant #1.

The Boston Celtics confirmed Sunday that the team had been fined $30,000 by the NBA for excessive contact with the family of University of Texas star freshman and likely lottery draft pick Kevin Durant.

General manager Danny Ainge sat next to Durant's mother during the Big 12 tournament. The league said Ainge violated rules demanding that contact be kept to a minimum between team executives and potential NBA draft picks, until college players officially declare for the draft.

http://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2803589

[wiley]

Nice foreshadowing C's!!  Mike Conley on his way to start at PG for C's...   

[ETNCeltics]

No team will ever approach Portland when it comes to legendary misses in the draft. They pass on Jordan to take perpetually injured Sam Bowie, and pass on Durant to take perpetually injured Greg Oden.

Both Bowie and Oden were considered great prospects, but man, talk about altering the course of NBA history.