Former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden said this week that he'll be remembered as the "biggest bust in NBA history."
The 7-foot Oden is currently taking classes toward his degree and is a student assistant coach at Ohio State, where he played one season before being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the first overall pick in 2007.
"I'll be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA history," Oden told ESPN's Outside the Lines. "But I can't do nothing about that."
Oden also reiterated that his playing days are over.
"Don't get me wrong," Oden said. "If I was healthy, I would love to continue playing. But I'm not healthy."
Oden previously had told Sports Illustrated that while he agreed he was a huge bust, it will "only get worse as [No. 2 pick] Kevin Durant continues doing big things."
Oden, 28, played just 82 games in five seasons with the Blazers. After missing his entire rookie season because of microfracture surgery on his right knee, he was averaging 11.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 2009-2010 when he broke his left kneecap. Oden had two more microfracture knee surgeries -- both on his left knee -- in his injury-plagued career.
Oden had 13 points, 20 rebounds and 4 blocks in his final game of the 2009-2010 season before breaking his kneecap, and he was averaging 15.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in the 7 games leading up to that injury.
"But I will say that when I was playing ... I don't think I was that bad when I was on the court," Oden said. "I felt like it could have just got better if I had more time on there."
Oden last played in the NBA in 2014 with the Miami Heat, averaging 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 26 games. He spent last season playing in China.
Stay dressed
President Barack Obama welcomed the Cleveland Cavaliers to the White House on Thursday afternoon to commemorate their 2016 NBA Finals victory. Cavs guard J.R. Smith actually wore a shirt.
The guard famously went shirtless during most of his post-championship celebrating. He more recently flaunted his body art during Game 7 of baseball's World Series at Progressive Field.
To Obama's relief, Smith showed up to the White House in proper attire.
"J.R. Smith's shirt has shown up," Obama said. "I wasn't sure it was going to make an appearance today."
During a congratulatory call to Cavaliers Coach Tyronn Lue in June, Obama told him to address Smith's shirtless ways. It looked like the president's memo was received.
Nice check
The Philadelphia School District received a big donation from a familiar face Thursday.
Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels and his wife Heidi returned to the city to deliver a $95,500 check to the district on behalf of their family's foundation.
The grant will be used to update the greenhouses at Walter Biddle Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences.
Hamels, drafted by the Phillies in 2002, was traded to the Texas Rangers in 2015.
In his last outing with Philadelphia, Hamels threw a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs in a 5-0 victory.
Hamels was the 2008 World Series MVP when the Phillies defeated Tampa Bay in five games.
Sports on 11/12/2016