Former NBA Top Draft Pick Embraces New Job As Athlete Adviser

Former NBA No.1 overall pick Greg Oden is now starting a new life where the limelight of fame and luxury is out after he chose the path of becoming a counselor. Finding purpose in every setback of his relatively unsteady playing career, the 2007 top rookie selection decided to become an adviser for athletes who are facing the same struggles he once had.

Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch reported that the 31-year-old former Portland Trailblazers big man is officially an athlete adviser for Edyoucore Sports & Entertainment - a Baltimore-based company that provides consultancy services as well as financial education to individuals that include amateur and professional athletes.

“I’m not saying I did terrible things with my money or lost it all, but if I was a little more knowledgeable about money then I probably would’ve made some better decisions and went a little bit differently in my life away from the court,” Oden told The Dispatch.

“Some of (the lessons learned) were definitely hard, especially from my standpoint, which is what I think I bring to the team: You’re making this money and you have these decisions and you’re not as knowledgeable as you should be, but I never thought I wouldn’t be playing the game or at this time that I wouldn’t be playing. It happened so quick you need to be prepared for when the big checks actually do stop coming.”

Oden graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Industry just last spring in Ohio where he also played college ball. Before getting drafted in the NBA, he had led the Buckeyes to the 2007 NCAA Championship.

His pro career had been marred by untimely injuries that derailed his progress in becoming one of the most imposing big men in the league. He spent five years in Portland before spending short stints in Miami and in China.

And as a new chapter unfolds, Oden just wants his battle scars to become instruments that he can use to inspire future players who aspire to greatness in basketball.

“I am a basketball player through and through and I got my degree, but I don’t want to be looked at as just a basketball player,” he said. “I feel like my life means something right now where I can help these kids or anybody to be better in their life, be happier, be more positive. That’s really what I hope to bring to this life and to this world.”